The Wishlist
by Chiera
Summary: A collection of short SessKag one shots I have written based on prompts given to me by my readers.
1. The Fang and Weapon

The first three drabbles in this collection were written for the reader prompts I received, when I agreed to take prompts to celebrate the first anniversary of my and the Dah's drabble project on tumblr. They were originally published in October 2015 in our tumblr blog _Drabblers_.

The next four drabbles were written in January 2016 when I announced I'd be taking prompts from my readers to celebrate my 10 year anniversary in the fandom.

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 **Drabble One - Fang and Weapon**

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 **Prompt:** Kagome asking Sesshoumaru for one of his fangs so she can commission herself a weapon from Toutousai

 **Setting:** Canon divergence (Shichinintai Arc)

 **Genre:** Drama

 **1,000 words**

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Kagome swallowed as she looked straight into the piercing eyes. She tried not to fidget or shrivel under the weight of the cold golden gaze, though that was easier said than done. The nervous fluttering erupted again in the pit of her stomach, and for the umpteenth time she wondered how she had ended up here.

It all had started with the poison master of shichinintai.

Well, technically, it had all started with the darn centipede that had snatched her and pulled her down the well… But the chain of events that had led her to stand here before the regal daiyoukai, had started with Mukotsu.

Now, trouble was nothing new to Kagome; in fact she had a penchant for getting in to it. She had spent a fair share of time being the damsel in distress, and Mukotsu was hardly the first person to kidnap her – but Kagome vowed he would be the last.

That incident had been one of the worst experiences she had ever had, and being kidnapped had been just the beginning. She still shuddered when she recalled Mukotsu's foul breath as he had pawed at her. She had come close to dying that day – she still remembered the iron grip of the stubby hands squeezing her throat, and the frantic wave of panic when the world had begun to dim in her eyes.

And to make matters worse, the saviour of the day had been Sesshoumaru, of all people.

Really, it had been the straw that broke the camel's back. Sango and Miroku had tried to help but had failed, and Inuyasha had been late to the whole party. It was clear she couldn't always rely on her friends to keep her safe.

She knew that as the guardian of the Shikon, she might as well have a bright red target painted on her forehead. The bad guys would keep coming and someone would try to kidnap her again.

Only this time, Kagome would be ready.

"I need a weapon," she had muttered to Sango. A bow and arrows clearly weren't good enough deterrents. She needed something bigger. Something flashier. Something… "Like Tessaiga. Something that screams 'don't mess with me'."

"A huge sword like Tessaiga would be too unwieldy for you," Sango had reminded her gently. She had paused in thought, before making her very practical suggestion. "Maybe something like a _naginata_? It would well send a message. It's easy to wield and I think it would suit you well. It's a good weapon for self-defence since it offers a long reach."

Kagome had pictured herself, one hand casually resting on the shaft of a polearm that would easily tower over her small form. She really liked that picture, and had told Sango as much.

"If you want a good weapon, you should use demonic materials," Sango had reminded her.

"I'm not sure that's necessary," Kagome had frowned. "It just needs to look intimidating. A magic weapon could be too big a hassle."

"Not all weapons built from youkai parts are magical. Just look at Hiraikotsu," Sango had pointed out. "You might as well do it properly. If you want a strong, durable weapon, then you should consider making it from the best materials available."

"That is easier said than done, though!"

Kagome and Sango had both startled. Kagome had turned to stare at her shoulder, where Myouga sat, his arms crossed and his brow creased in thought.

"As a miko, you can't forge a weapon of the parts of just any youkai. For one, the part must either be won or willingly given."

"Well that's no problem, I'll just ask Inuyasha."

"I'm afraid that might not work. Inuyasha is too similar to you. I don't know about this as much as Toutousai would, but if I recall correctly, the energies are a serious consideration. For you to be able to make full use of your weapon, the demonic material used should carry a youki that balances your reiki."

"Like yin and yang?" Sango had guessed.

"Precisely," Myouga had said, nodding sagely.

"So… I need to get my material from someone who's my polar opposite?"

And there it was. That was how and why Kagome found herself here, in this awkward position.

She shuffled her feet and cleared her throat.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," Kagome started, trying to keep her quivering voice as respectful as she could, "I am really grateful for the last time, you killing Mukotsu... And I hate to ask anything of you when I am already in your debt, but –"

"Cease your babbling and state your business," Sesshoumaru spoke coolly.

"Umm… Could you perhaps give me one of your teeth?" Kagome bit her lip.

Sesshoumaru stared at her, like she was some new lifeform he had never encountered.

"What," he drawled, "would you possibly want with my tooth?"

"A weapon," she replied quickly. "Seems like I'm always getting in trouble or kidnapped and I'm getting tired of it. I want a weapon to discourage my attackers and Sango said I should use demonic materials because they yield the best results so I was going to just ask Inuyasha but then Myouga said that there is this energy thing, reiki and youki balancing like yin and yang…" Kagome faltered. There was a slight crease between Sesshoumaru's eyes that lent his face a pained expression.

"Sorry," Kagome offered sheepishly. "I was babbling again, wasn't I?"

The silence stretched, it weighed heavily in the air around them, and Kagome fought the strong urge to squirm. He was still staring at her, his impassive face unreadable, his golden gaze cold and assessing.

Then, one silver eyebrow arched.

"If I do you this favour, you will leave?"

"Yes! I'll go right away and leave you alone, just _please_ –"

"Here," he said irately, pressing something small, gleaming, and bloody onto her palm, his claws fleetingly scraping her skin.

Kagome's breath caught as her hand closed around the fang. She looked up at the daiyoukai and beamed.

"Thank you."


	2. Pregnancy

**Drabble Two - Pregnant**

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 **Prompt:** Kagome's pregnancy

 **Universe:** Post-Canon

 **Genre:** Humour, Drama, Romance

 **950 Words**

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He had known before she did. One moment she had been contently tucked against him under their light blanket, the next she had found herself staring at the ceiling after Sesshoumaru had abruptly flipped her over. His hands were on her waist, pinning her down to the _futon_ and she squirmed and giggled from the ticklish sensation as he buried his nose to her stomach, taking deep, loud sniffs.

Then, he slowly looked up, his golden eyes wide.

A deer caught in the headlights, she thought, laughing at that awed, puzzled expression. The laughter quickly died as his lips crashed against hers.

Bile rose in her throat the moment the combined smell of fish and vinegar hit her nose. Her hand tightly clamped over her mouth as her stomach stirred uneasily. She scampered up from the _tatami_ , her feet almost tangling in the layers of silk in her haste. She ran across the room, out to the veranda where she proceeded to be audibly sick. Sesshoumaru was by her side in an instant, first hovering hesitantly but soon he was running his claws through her hair and rubbing circles on her back in a feeble attempt to soothe her as she emptied her stomach.

"One more bite," Sesshoumaru tried to coax, but Kagome only shook her head.

"I'm full," she insisted, her words punctuated by a yawn. It was only early afternoon, but lately it seemed she always got tired at this hour. Try as she might, she simply could not keep her eyes open, though the losing struggle of lids slipping shut and periodical nodding off was fairly amusing to witness.

"Very well," he relented. Gently, he gathered her into his arms and laid her down, his lap serving as a pillow.

"Rest," he ordered, and with a soft sigh, Kagome finally succumbed to the weariness.

At first she was not sure what had woken her up, but then she felt it again, so small and faint she wondered if she had imagined it. Her hands came to cradle her stomach, and she slowly stroked the visibly rounded belly. As if in response, there was that shy, gentle flutter again. Kagome smiled, and briefly fought against the urge to nudge Sesshoumaru awake from his light slumber. They were half-way through, and there would be plenty of moments to share with Sesshoumaru.

But the privacy of this one was what made it so magical; a moment that was fully her own.

Kagome cradled a cup of tea in her hands and shifted a little in discomfort.

"Do you need another cushion?"

"I'm fine, Sesshoumaru," she assured him.

"Are you sure?" he frowned.

"Yes," Kagome told him firmly. "If you want to help, go tell a servant to draw me a bath."

These days the backache was starting to be a near constant companion. It wasn't anything bad, really, more a slight tension and tightness of muscle than actual pain, but uncomfortable nonetheless. The baths helped, though, and she tried to keep her complaints to a minimum. Sesshoumaru was enough of a worrywart as it was.

She bustled about the room with purpose, humming to herself as she dusted off the nooks and crannies, wiping and polishing the wooden frames of the _shouji_ screens. Sesshoumaru stared at the fuss and her energetic flitting about with a disconcerted frown.

"Leave the cleaning to the servants."

She did not pause from her spirited battle against dust. "I don't want to!"

"You should take it easy," he insisted, unable to keep the worry from his voice.

Kagome ceased her busy-bodying enough to level her mate an irritated look.

"I'm _fine_."

Sesshoumaru did not agree, but knew that arguing with Kagome would be futile.

The shy soft movements had given way to vicious kicks, and Kagome often groaned. Their offspring was a lively one, and seemed to have little regard to its poor mother and the insides gracefully housing it.

"It takes after you," she grumbled to her mate after a particularly sharp kick to her abused bladder. "A ruthless fighter."

He laid his large hand to her swollen stomach, and amusement flashed in his golden eyes. "Just pray it does not have your temper."

Kagome gaped at him in sudden horror as the realisation hit.

"Oh god, we might be getting another Inuyasha," she wailed, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

"Argh, I'm done with this!" Kagome snapped. She tore off the heavy, draping _uchikake_ , letting it fall to the floor in a heap. She really didn't need any additional layers of kimono, she was already carrying enough extra weight on her own accord. She sank to the cushions with a sigh and propped her feet up on a stool to ease the swelling of her ankles. From across the room, she caught Sesshoumaru's gaze and flashed him her best imitation of puppy eyes. He abandoned his papers and took a seat next to her, obeying her wordless plea. With firm, familiar strokes, he begun to massage the aching muscles on her back.

Kagome groaned as she planted her hands on the _tatami_ and inelegantly shifted from _seiza_ to all fours. Sesshoumaru's hands wrapped securely around her arms and he helped her up to a standing position. She leaned against him gratefully, taking comfort in his silent support. Her girth was making her feel even clumsier than usual.

Then, with a sigh, Kagome let go of him.

"I'll be right back," she promised. "Though I'm seriously considering moving into the toilet permanently. That might be more convenient at this point."

His lips twitched at the jest, and she gave him a wry smile in return, before waddling outside, closely followed by a maid servant.


	3. Unrequited

**Drabble Three - Unrequited**

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 **Prompt:** Unrequited love

 **Universe:** Post Canon

 **Genre:** Drama, Friendship, Romance.

 **876 Words**

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The flare of a familiar youki made Kagome pause in the middle of her chore. She abandoned her task, and walked to the doorway of her hut.

He was standing right outside, his face as indifferent as always. She leaned against the doorframe, and a smile touched her lips when his golden gaze fell on her.

He inclined his head, and Kagome brushed her hakama and stepped outside, shielding her eyes from the sun as she looked up at the daiyoukai.

"Hello, Sesshoumaru," she greeted him. "You've come for your visit at a bad time, Rin has gone with Kaede to help at a neighbouring village."

"That is fine, I can see Rin later."

"Do you want to come in? Have a cup of tea?"

Sesshoumaru didn't reply, but after a moment started to walk towards the hut. Kagome smiled and went back in. She was lighting the fire in the cooking pit when Sesshoumaru stepped in. He stopped in the doorway.

"It's a bit messy here," Kagome said apologetically as she hung the water kettle over the fire. "I was just storing my herbs for the winter when you came."

She brushed aside some of the carefully bound bundles of dried plants and patted at the wooden floor.

"Please have a seat."

Sesshoumaru strolled into the hut and sat down next to the small fire, across from Kagome.

She hummed to herself as she pulled out two cups and a small ceramic bowl.

"I believe congratulations are in order."

Kagome stilled and set down the tea set. A flush spread over her cheeks and her hand subconsciously twitched, brushing against her stomach.

"Thank you," she said softly. "News travels fast it seems."

"Where is Inuyasha?"

"He and Miroku are away for work." A fond smile crossed Kagome's lips, her blue eyes came alight with a tender spark. "He's become so protective now… He wouldn't let me go with them, but he didn't want to leave me on my own either. I told him he shouldn't let Miroku and Kohaku go alone and I'd be fine. He agreed to go in the end, though he told Sango-chan to look after me."

"His pack instincts will probably grow only stronger from now on."

Kagome looked down, the corners of her lips quirking.

"It's kinda sweet, even though he gets on my nerves sometimes."

The water boiled, and the conversation dropped as Kagome prepared the tea under Sesshoumaru's watchful gaze.

She served it to him with a smile, and he accepted the cup with a courteous nod.

"Still, you shouldn't have come all this way just to offer your congratulations." Kagome shook her head and took a small sip of her tea.

"Actually there was something else," Sesshoumaru replied. He set down his cup and reached into his sleeve. He pulled out a small bottle, and slid it across the wooden floor to Kagome. She picked it up and studied it for a moment, before looking quizzically at him.

"This is a tonic that might be of help to you," he explained. "It is what my father commissioned for Izayoi when she was carrying Inuyasha."

"Oh," she breathed, squeezing the bottle in her hands.

"Even though your child will only be one have one quarter of youkai blood, the pregnancy might still put a strain on your body, so I thought you should have this."

"Thank you," she said at last, looking up into his eyes. "It's very thoughtful of you."

Kagome cradled the bottle to her chest, and gave Sesshoumaru a soft, grateful smile.

* * *

The final battle against Naraku had changed everything. Before that he had not paid her much attention, hadn't given her much more than a passing thought. But that battle had made him notice her. Standing together against their despised enemy, fighting side by side created its own special bond.

But it was more than having been united by a common goal. He had been shaken by the way she had risen to the challenge, her fearlessness and determination.

Of course, the stirring in his heart had been very slight. Perhaps he might have missed it completely, had it not been for the jewel spiriting her away after Naraku's defeat. Her absence had grated on him and made him restless; that was how he had realised he had truly fallen.

He had not thought he would ever come to harbour such needless emotions. Especially when he knew how hopeless his situation was.

He would not bring dishonour to himself or his pack by pursuing his own brother's woman. And such pursuit would have been futile in any case, there was no room for anyone else in the miko's heart. Her devotion towards the hanyou was clear, the bond between them too strong to break.

So he contended himself with the little he could get. Small moments here and there, like this one: the two of them drinking their tea in a companionable silence.

He would watch over her and protect the happiness she had found.

And he would savour each smile she gave him, though he knew they didn't compare to the ones she gave Inuyasha. But even if they weren't as tender and bright, those small smiles were for him and him alone.


	4. Her Happiness

**Drabble Four - Her Happiness**

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 **Prompt:** Sequel for the one shot about Sesshoumaru's unrequited love

 **Setting:** Post Canon

 **Genre:** Drama

 **1,299 words**

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Sesshoumaru shouldn't have been surprised by Kohaku's visit. Unable to help himself, he had subconsciously kept track of the weeks and months as they rushed by – something a daiyoukai blessed with a long lifespan like him would not normally have done.

And yet, he was taken aback when Kohaku hopped down from the fire cat's back and extended him the invitation from Inuyasha and Kagome.

He had stayed silent for a moment, weighing his options. The emotions he rarely allowed to surface waged war deep inside of him.

Sesshoumaru knew he shouldn't go. It would only serve as a harrowing reminder of the one thing he truly wanted but couldn't have.

Really, it was rather pitiful that after finally getting over his obsession with Tessaiga and accepting that the sword had never been meant for him, Sesshoumaru had gone and fallen to repeat the same vicious cycle – envying his younger brother and coveting what was rightfully his.

Yet, he could hardly refuse. He was the only family Inuyasha had, and their father's blood would also run in the veins of this new-born pup. He had the obligation to go and greet the newest member of his small pack.

And even though he knew visiting Edo would only bring him pain, he yearned to see Kagome. Any excuse would do if he could enjoy her company for just a moment; look into those blue twinkling eyes and see that bright smile that always came right from the heart.

So he nodded in agreement and together, with Kohaku and the fire cat, flew east.

Her aura was the first thing he noticed as they neared Edo. It washed over him, cool and pure like a soothing wind, and he found himself relaxing in spite of his reservations.

They landed on the outskirts of the village. The fire cat transformed back to its smaller form and Kohaku bid him a polite goodbye, before the both of them started towards the slayer and the monk's home.

Sesshoumaru stood still, taking a brief moment to steel himself. Inuyasha was already striding over to him, his canines glinting.

Their relationship was still distant and uneasy, and Sesshoumaru doubted they would ever grow close. Perhaps they might have, if not for Kagome… But now, because she was his, the daiyoukai would forever resent his younger brother.

To Sesshoumaru's surprise, Inuyasha was grinning as he approached him. For once, the hanyou appeared unguarded in his presence.

"Sesshoumaru!" he greeted him, uncouth as always. "We didn't know if you were gonna show up."

"Well, you invited me, did you not?"

"Yeah, but you always do your own thing. C'mon, Kagome's waiting."

Warmth stirred in Sesshoumaru's chest, and he fell into a step next to his brother.

Sesshoumaru had not seen much of Inuyasha since Kagome had returned from her own era. He spent a lot of time on the road, and Sesshoumaru had often purposefully timed his periodical visits to Edo so he was sure to miss his brother.

He looked the same as always, clad in the same old fire rat haori, his feet bare… and yet it was startling to see how much he had changed. Of course, it shouldn't have been so surprising; Kagome's influence was quite formidable. After all, she had managed to move even Sesshoumaru's cold heart just by fighting by his side, so it was only natural having her as his wife would have affected Inuyasha.

What could it have been like, if things had turned out different?

His heart suddenly felt heavy in his chest. Bitterness stung in his hidden wounds.

There was no point in wasting his time on what ifs. What was done was done. Kagome was out of his reach, and Sesshoumaru knew it.

Then, he heard her – a soft, gentle humming wove through the air, coming from her and Inuyasha's hut.

A sigh escaped from Sesshoumaru's lips.

His heart still ached, but the pain grew duller.

"Go on," Inuyasha urged him as they reached the hut.

Sesshoumaru strode in, head held high.

Kagome looked up, and beamed at him when he entered.

"Welcome, Sesshoumaru!"

She had changed as well, he could tell immediately. Her smile was different, it had become softer, fuller, brighter. She almost seemed aglow.

Sesshoumaru lowered himself onto the tatami.

"Thank you for inviting me."

"We're glad you came."

Another smile, for him. His hand grabbed at the fabric of his hakama.

"She was worried you wouldn't show," Inuyasha huffed, plopping ungracefully to the floor.

"Well, I thought you might not have the time," Kagome said, squirming a little.

"It is not every day my father's line gains a new descendant. For this, I would have made time."

"Keh, told ya he'd see it as a duty."

"Inuyasha," Kagome scolded, her voice soft but firm. Then, she flashed Sesshoumaru a small smile. "Would you like some tea?"

"Please."

Sesshoumaru cast a side glance to corner of the room, where the futon was still spread.

"Please don't mind the mess," Kagome said as she took out the tea cups and a jar of tea. "It's a bit cramped, but he spends most of his time alternating between sleeping and eating so I didn't think there was any point in clearing out the futon."

"It is all right," Sesshoumaru reassured her, trying not to stare at the small bundle resting on the thin mattress.

Inuyasha crossed over to the futon. To Sesshoumaru, he had always appeared gruff and boorish, yet now his moved with such gentleness as he picked the baby up into his arms.

"Sesshoumaru," the hanyou said, turning to him, "here is my son, Masaru."

Other than a pair of small triangle ears, twitching in his sleep, there was little sign of youkai heritage. He had no markings, and his hair was black like Kagome's.

Perhaps there was no helping it; though Inuyasha was strong, he was still only a half-blood.

"You have done well," Sesshoumaru replied, not knowing what else to say.

"Would you like to hold him?" Kagome asked as she prepared their tea.

"I am not sure if that – "

"Oh, c'mon, you came all this way," Inuyasha grumbled. "Here."

And before Sesshoumaru could refuse, the child was in his arms.

It was puzzling. How could a living thing be so small, so fragile, so warm? He looked up and saw that Inuyasha was grinning again. Kagome, too, had a soft smile on her lips as she looked at them.

Sesshoumaru glanced back down and met a pair of golden eyes, still hazy from sleep. The next second, the baby was wailing, and Sesshoumaru stared at him helplessly.

"I am sorry. I must have startled him."

"No," Kagome shook her head. She knelt in front of him and picked up her son, her warm, soft arms brushing against Sesshoumaru's chest in passing.

"He's just hungry. Do you mind?"

Sesshoumaru shook his head, and tried not to stare as Kagome shifted her kimono so she could feed the baby through the opening under her sleeve.

He looked at her face, that warm smile playing on her lips, that soft glow in her blue eyes.

Motherhood suited her. With Masaru, her happiness was complete.

Since Kagome had her hands full, Inuyasha played the host and gave him a cup of tea. Sesshoumaru stared down at the tiny stalk floating upright on the steaming green surface.

He hummed, and sipped the drink.

It was fine like this. Kagome was happy, and that was all he could ask for.

He only hoped that life would spare her from unnecessary pain. Sesshoumaru had wide shoulders, and if need be he would bear her share, too.

As long as she would keep smiling that bright smile of hers, he could be satisfied even with this cursed existence.


	5. Fifty Kilos of Fluff

**Drabble Five - Fifty Kilos of Fluff**

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 **Prompt:** "Never apologise for your gigantic dog getting overexcited. If I get taken down by a 50kg mass of fluff then that's how I go."

 **Setting:** Canon divergence (Kagome never returned to the Sengoku era)

 **Genre:** Humour

 **632 words**

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He couldn't say why he had chosen to take the short cut through the park – he usually avoided them like plague. The little splashes of greenery in the middle of the sprawling city of steel and concrete felt like a slap in the face, especially to someone like him who had once tasted the clean air and walked through the untouched nature.

But that had been a different time… Now everything was hectic and noisy, crowded and smoggy. He would have thought back to the better old days with longing, had it not been a pointless sentimentality. There was no way to turn back time. This was what the world was like now and he had to adapt to that. Longing for something unattainable would amount to nothing.

He walked with quick, decisive steps along the path. It was early in the morning so luckily there weren't that many people around, just few harried salary men in their suits and a group of young girls commuting to school. Their clothes brought to mind another memory of a time long past; every time he saw a sailor uniform he instantly thought of a pair of blue eyes, sparkling in anger from behind a drawn bow.

He frowned and quickly banished that silly train of thought.

Somewhere from behind him, he heard a distant shout and crunch of gravel.

Then a heavy weight collided against the back of his legs, so sudden and forceful that his knees buckled and he almost fell to the ground.

Somehow managing to stay upright, he whipped around and saw a dog, dipped into a bow in front of him.

The dog was a huge, fluffy thing, its behind up in the air and shaking from the furious wagging of its curled tail. As Sesshoumaru continued to stare the dog whined and barked and began to skip and dance around him in blatant enthusiasm.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. Somehow, this always kept happening. He had not been in his actual humanoid form in over five decades, and it had been far longer than that since he had last transformed into his true form. Disguised and living his life like a regular mortal, he had carefully sealed away nearly all of his youki.

And yet somehow dogs always flocked to him, like moths drawn to the flame.

"Shippou," a female voice sternly chided the jumping, over-excited dog, "back!"

A spark lit, somewhere deep inside him and the small hairs at the back of his neck stood. He felt like an electric current had coursed through his body, bright and burning. His gaze snapped to the woman crouching in front of him, picking the end of the dog leash from the ground.

He took a deep breath. Without his youki, his senses were duller, but this scent was burned to his memory, this scent he would have recognised anywhere; a scent he knew from five hundred years ago.

The woman straightened herself and struggled to pull the hyper canine away from him. Her knuckles were white as she held onto the leash, but her cheeks were burning pink as she bowed her head.

"I'm so sorry, he got away from me… He doesn't usually behave like this, I'm…"

She faltered, and he realised he was staring, unable to believe his eyes.

"I'm sorry," the woman repeated, and now she was frowning, the deep blue eyes staring right back at him. "…Have we met? You look kind of familiar."

He took in the sight of her and her bouncing dog, of the skyscrapers towering in the distance behind her, and suddenly the sheer absurdity of the situation hit him.

Laughter rumbled in his chest and the corners of his lips quirked.

"Yes, miko," he drawled silkily, "we have met."


	6. Issues With Intimacy

**Drabble Six - Issues with Intimacy**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Someone getting hurt

 **Setting:** Post Canon

 **Genre:** Humour

 **1,154 words**

* * *

 **Chie:** This was originally intended to be sort of a parody, pure crack, but my mood and the story didn't fully co-operate so it turned out quite different from what I had hoped... I hope you'll enjoy it nonetheless.

* * *

Their amiable conversation faltered until finally it faded away completely, leaving them in silence. The nervous flutter in Kagome's stomach grew stronger, and she was starting to feel hyper-aware of the tall lean body next to her. It wasn't the quiet that rendered her so agitated, but the palpable tension hanging over them; like the whole world was waiting with a bated breath for the inevitable.

Unable to sit still in such a loaded atmosphere, Kagome squirmed, her shoulder brushing against his arm in passing. Startled by sudden the contact, she turned to look at Sesshoumaru.

Their gazes locked, and a shiver ran down Kagome's spine. His golden eyes were boring into her with such magnetic intensity that she couldn't turn away. The hungry look in his eyes stole her breath away and her jaw slackened, her lips parted… and before her brain could even register what was happening, she found herself pinned against him as his eager lips pressed onto hers.

The kiss was deep and heated; the kind that made Kagome feel that all her previous kisses – mostly with Inuyasha – had been nothing but innocent little pecks. Here and now, with Sesshoumaru's tongue exploring her mouth and her fingers getting lost in his long silver-white hair, she really felt like she was being kissed for the first time.

A moan bubbled in her throat and her stomach plummeted in a searing blaze. But as blissfully toe-curling a kisser Sesshoumaru was, Kagome couldn't help feeling uncomfortable.

When they finally came back for air, Kagome sat back at her heels and stared at him, hoping she didn't look as dazed as she felt.

"The armour," she said breathlessly, untangling her fingers from his silky locks, "it has got to go."

His eyes flashed, and the corner of his lips quirked upwards in a smirk.

The wicked smile on his lips made Kagome's mouth dry and it took her a moment to gather her wits.

"Don't get any ideas, mister," she warned him, struggling to keep her voice stern. "It's just not to most comfortable thing to be pushed against, and I'm a bit concerned about all those spikes. I think it'd kill the mood if I were to accidentally impale myself."

"Hn," Sesshoumaru hummed in agreement. "That is a fair point."

His hands travelled to the ties and knots that held his armour in place and started to deftly undo them, while Kagome silently admired him, trying not to freak out too much.

They had been growing closer and she had been half-expecting this to happen; as of late, whenever they were alone the air around them had seemed electrified, begging for that one spark to fly.

And now it had, and Kagome was simultaneously unnerved and excited about the fact.

The ties undone, Kagome helped to pull the heavy plates of armour off Sesshoumaru, and was then quickly snatched into his strong arms. His lips immediately returned to ravage hers, and she helplessly clung to his shoulders and surrendered to him. Had they been standing, her knees would have gone weak.

His hand travelled down to the small of her back as he ran his fang over her lower lip in a slow, teasing manner. A strangled mewl escaped from Kagome's throat and he rewarded her with a quick nibble before kissing her fully again.

Time lost its meaning as the two of them sat locked in their embrace. Occasionally his lips would leave hers to explore the side of her neck, while she was partial to wander to pepper his jaw with kisses. Judging by the low growl, he seemed to enjoy that as well.

Kagome's hands were fisted in the back of Sesshoumaru's kimono. He, in turn, had one hand firmly holding on to her hair, while the other had travelled even lower and was currently cupping her behind.

It was strange, Kagome mused idly as Sesshoumaru licked the shell of ear, how she could feel so giddy and grounded at the same time.

Kagome turned her head and caught Sesshoumaru's lips, wresting the control to herself. Feeling adventurous, she laid soft butterfly kisses along the side of his jaw, before trailing up to his ear. She kissed the spot right behind it, earning a small hiss from him. Then, feeling mischievous, she caught his earlobe between her teeth and gave it a firm tug.

Kagome's playful and whimsical little bite sent a jolt through Sesshoumaru's body, but the response she received was not quite what she had expected.

In the next few seconds, three things happened at the same time.

First was the forceful growl tearing from Sesshoumaru's throat. To Kagome, this was the least surprising reaction and she revelled at the sound, feeling rather self-satisfied. Perhaps, had she thought things through, she might have even predicted the second occurrence – the significant spike of his youki, flaring in response to the unexpected show of boldness on Kagome's part.

But nothing had prepared her for the third reaction; a reflexive twitch that travelled down his arm to his hand, inciting him to squeeze her tight.

Kagome yelped as all five of Sesshoumaru's claws sunk into the soft flesh of her backside.

The sudden pain flooding her body, combined with the youki massing in the air around her, lit the spark deep within and the burning cold of purity rushed forth, pouring out of her fingertips.

Sesshoumaru jerked away from her and his youki dissipated as quickly as it had appeared.

Kagome's hands balled into fists as she struggled to rein her powers back in, trying to ignore the literal pain in her butt that was stinging like hell.

"Shit," she hissed, her face white. "Are you okay?"

"While highly unpleasant, it will take a stronger blast of reiki than that to harm this Sesshoumaru." His nose twitched, and his lips twisted downward. "You are bleeding."

"Oh. Right. Um, I'm fine," Kagome said, plastering a brave smile onto her lips.

"Do not lie to me, miko." Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. "I can tell you are in pain. I am sorry, I did not mean to injure you."

"It's fine. I think we're even."

Sesshoumaru stood.

"We should go. The old miko can tend to you."

He helped her to her feet and Kagome intertwined her fingers with his, leaning against his taller frame.

"I hope Kaede will be discreet. I really don't want to explain to everyone how I ended up with five puncture wounds in my buttocks."

She felt his shoulders shake with a suppressed chuckle and that was enough for the absurdity of the situation to finally hit her in full force, and she surrendered to the hysterical laughter that had been coiling in her chest since the incident.

"I think we need to take things slow until we can figure this out," she murmured after the fit of giggles had finally died down.

"Agreed," Sesshoumaru replied, shaking his head.


	7. Getting To Know You

**Drabble Seven - Getting to Know You**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Can you write a fic about sesshomaru coming to the village to get kagome, they then go to take a walk together and they try to get to know each other better!

 **Setting:** Post Canon

 **Genre:** Friendship

 **994 words**

* * *

It was a hot summer day, and sweat was beading underneath the wide rim of Kagome's straw-hat. She had been lost in her work, but the persistent ache in her knees and back was pulling her back to the reality. She groaned as she got up to her feet and tossed the plants in her hand into the growing pile of uprooted weeds. Hands on her hips, she cast a look around her garden patch. It was looking better, though there was still plenty of weeding to be done. Still, the heatwave was even a bigger threat to her precious plants.

"Look at all my poor herbs and vegetables, they're dry and drooping," she sighed. Then, she glowered at the pile of weeds and nudged it with her foot. "How come you are still growing so happily?"

"Because the perseverant nature of pests is the very reason they are so vexing."

Kagome yelped and swirled around, her hand pressed over her racing heart.

"Sesshoumaru! You scared me."

"I apologise. It did not seem like you had noticed my presence so I chose to speak up."

"Eh? Have you been here long?"

"A while."

"I'm sorry. You're right, I didn't notice at all… Did you come to see Rin?"

"That was my intention, yes."

"Yeah…" Kagome brushed her hands on her hakama and flashed Sesshoumaru an apologetic smile. "She's gone with Sango and Miroku to visit the old Taijiya village. You know she's been helping Sango with the kids, though I think she had ulterior motives this time."

"Ulterior motives?" Sesshoumaru blinked. "Rin?"

"Well, they've gone to see Kohaku, haven't they?"

"I see."

"I'm sorry you came all this way for nothing."

"Not necessarily. You are here, are you not?"

"I am, if you are fine with just me for company. Though I need to go get some water before all my poor plants dry out."

"Then let me accompany you."

"All right, this way then." Kagome grabbed a pail and headed out to the forest.

They walked in silence, and Kagome tried her best to relax. She had seen a lot more of Sesshoumaru over the years, he had visited Edo periodically to see Rin or to bicker with Inuyasha. Still, there had been only a handful of times they had been alone together, and though they were on better terms these days, she still didn't feel fully at ease in his company.

"What about Inuyasha?"

"Eh?" Kagome started, surprised that Sesshoumaru had actually broken the silence.

"I did not see him in the village. Did he go with the others?"

"No… Inuyasha always comes and goes. Never tells anyone anything either," Kagome huffed.

"How typical."

"Yeah. He's always been like that. Impulsive. Not that I can judge, though, I guess we have that in common."

"I am not so sure. I think you have calmed down; unlike Inuyasha, you have become more mature."

Kagome stopped in her tracks and Sesshoumaru halted beside her, peering curiously down at her flushed face.

"Did I offend you?"

"No, no! You surprised me. I just realised we hadn't spent all that much time together. I thought I might not really know you at all."

"Then… ask me."

"What?"

"If there is anything you wish to know about this Sesshoumaru, you should ask."

"Really?" Kagome asked, resuming walking once again.

"Yes."

"Anything?"

"Yes."

"Then… Uhh… What´s your favourite colour?"

"I am partial to dark blue," Sesshoumaru answered promptly. Then, the corner of his lips twitched. "You seem more frivolous than I expected. You could have asked me anything at all and you wonder about my preferences regarding colours?"

"Don't be smart with me," Kagome pouted, tossing a fleeting glare into his direction. "That was the first thing that came to my mind, it's not easy thinking up questions on the spot!"

"Truly? I beg to differ."

"Oh yeah? Well what would you ask then? If you could ask me anything."

"I heard from Rin you have been teaching the children at the village. It made me curious as to what kind of learning you possessed."

"Oh." Kagome bit her lip. "Umm, you know I'm not from here, right?"

"I am aware that you hail from a different time, yes."

"Right. Well, where I'm from, every child must attend school for nine years, though most people continue even after that so they can get a good job. Farming isn't the primary livelihood, there are various occupations and to be chosen for a good position, education is valued. I studied for twelve years myself… I'm sorry, it's kind of difficult to explain because so many things are different in my time."

"What kind of things did they teach you?"

"All kinds. Of course I learned to read and write, but there was also mathematics, science, social studies, foreign language, arts and sports. At least three times a year there would be exams, to test how well we had learned each subject. Also to continue studying after the first nine years, the higher level schools will admit people according to their grades, sometimes there are even entrance exams. There is a lot of competition over getting into good schools, so some people go to additional classes in the evening."

"That sounds quite impressive. You must have worked hard."

"Eh, for a while I didn't do so great, I missed a lot of classes because I had to spend so much time here chasing after Naraku and the Shikon shards."

"In that case it is even more commendable you managed to finish your schooling. You must have been working hard."

"Ah, I guess," Kagome stammered, another blush rising to her cheeks.

"Well then, ask me your next question."

"Give me a moment, I want to make this one count."

"There is no hurry," Sesshoumaru drawled, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye. "We have all day."

"Yes," Kagome agreed, a small smile touching her lips. "I guess we do."

* * *

 **Chie:** For now, this is the last one shot in this series. I won't mark this collection completed, though, since I might accept reader prompts again at some point. Hope you enjoyed these!


	8. Compromise

This Drabble and the next one were written for reader prompts in September 2016.

* * *

 **Drabble Eight - Compromise**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Box of Puppies

 **Setting:** Modern Day AU.

 **Genre:** Romance, fluff

 **1,168 Words**

* * *

Kagome zeroed in on the store the moment they crossed the street. Her step acquired a skip as she started making a beeline towards it, drawn to the innocuous-looking shop like a moth to a flame. Sesshoumaru took in her sudden cheery demeanour less than enthusiastically, feeling a sigh settle in the back of his throat. He followed her, his own gait slow and dignified, though his shoulders slumped in defeat when Kagome reached the window.

A long, high-pitched _Awwww_ reached his ears and the sigh bubbled up to Sesshoumaru's lips and escaped. He had known it would be impossible to simply pass by the store, but now that she had stopped and was beaming at the window, Sesshoumaru knew it would get infinitely worse.

He stopped at a safe distance some three metres away and watched as Kagome crouched by the window, cooing at the little fluffy creatures. The window display of the pet store was essentially one big glass box, inside of which were four little puppies, each a different breed. One of them was sound asleep, its little head dangling off the side of a padded pillow. Another one was wrestling with a toy, its tail wagging in excitement. The last two were giving their full attention to Kagome, the one sitting at a corner watching her carefully, the other jumping up against the window, its black nose pressing into the glass.

"Sesshoumaru," Kagome said after what had felt like a several minutes of ooh-ing and ah-ing. Her voice had taken on a pleading node and Sesshoumaru pinched the bridge of his nose.

Puppies be damned, he should have just grabbed Kagome and steered her away – or better yet, have taken another route entirely, one that wouldn't have led them past a pet store. But it was too late now, the milk had already been spilled, and Sesshoumaru knew full well what was coming.

The shy puppy in the corner turned its head, and its huge brown eyes suddenly fixated on Sesshoumaru. He bit his tongue to keep down the swear words.

"Kagome," he tried, pitching his voice to be low, calming, and perfectly reasonable. But alas, Kagome was not so easily deterred, especially by such inane things as reason.

"Look," she pleaded, tearing her gaze away from the little balls of fur to look over her shoulder and meet Sesshoumaru's eyes. "Look at them! Those itty bitty faces! And those ears! And their little furry paws!"

"I am looking," Sesshoumaru replied, in a voice completely void of emotion.

Kagome frowned at him, but the moment she turned back to the puppies her features melted in a smile. "They're so adorable!"

"Yes. For a few fleeting months. And then they grow up."

"I know that," Kagome sniffed. She tapped her finger against the glass and giggled as the puppy trying its best to befriend her licked the window. "But they'd still be cute when they grow up."

"Hnnn."

"Come on, Sesshoumaru."

"No," he said, crossing his arms. "We are not getting a dog."

" _Pleeeease_?"

"Kagome, we have been through this before. You know buying a puppy would be a bad idea."

"But they're so fluffy and cute and – "

"You want to look at the sweet little puppies? Fine. Then look at that one cowering in the corner," Sesshoumaru snapped with a terse jerk of his head.

Because that was what that one shy puppy was doing now, its eyes still fixed on Sesshoumaru, its ears drooping and tiny paws shaking.

Kagome looked at it for a moment and half-turned, her face set in a scowl.

"Stop scaring the little one," she ordered Sesshoumaru with a quick glare.

"That is the point, Kagome. I am not _trying_ to scare it. In fact, I am maintaining a clear distance. I have my youki perfectly under control _and_ I am suppressing my aura. And despite all those precautions, that puppy knows."

"But you're a dog demon," Kagome insisted, her lips twisting into a definite pout.

"Yes, but the emphasis here is on the demon part," Sesshoumaru said, his voice growing softer. What Kagome wanted, Kagome usually got. She had her mate wrapped around her slender little finger – a fact that Sesshoumaru was very well aware of but did not mind the least. Why should he, when all _he_ wanted was for her to be happy and to protect that brilliant smile that had somehow managed to melt even his dark heart. But this was one matter where he would never give in. Because getting a dog would be a very bad idea.

"Like I have explained to you on more than one occasion, animals are more sensitive than most humans. They will recognise what I am – and what they will sense is the presence of a powerful predator."

Kagome bit her lip, her gaze flicking between Sesshoumaru and the clearly terrified puppy, and the sag of her shoulders signalled the crumbling of her resistance.

Usually, Sesshoumaru enjoyed a good argument, and relished a victory – but this wasn't one of those times. He did not want to see that downward turn of Kagome's lips, the way her eyes grew dimmer.

"Couldn't it, you know… get used to it over time? Your presence?" she tried, the hopeful cheer already fading from her voice.

"I highly doubt it would," Sesshoumaru said as gently as he could. "And I think any time spent in a close proximity with me would be very stressful for the poor animal."

Kagome nodded absently. She cast one last longing look at the four little puppies in the window. Then she sighed and let her hand drop back to her side as she turned away.

As soon as Kagome had returned to his side, Sesshoumaru's hand settled on her shoulder, his thumb brushing a tender line against the side of her throat.

"I am sorry," he said after a while.

"Don't be," she sighed, her defeated expression fading as she leaned into his touch. "It's not like you can help being a demon. It's just such a shame, you know?"

Sesshoumaru didn't reply right away, his fingers toying with the strap of Kagome's sundress.

"Perhaps," he began slowly, meeting the brilliant blue of her eyes, "we might reach a compromise of sorts."

"A compromise?" Her brow creased.

"While a pet is out of the question, there is no reason why we could not have a little one around."

"What're – _Oh_." Her head snapped up, her wide eyes staring at him. "Are you sure? I mean we haven't been mated for that long yet and –"

"Yes," he cut in, "I am. I would not have mated you in the first place if I did not want you to be the mother of my children."

"A baby, huh," Kagome spoke, her voice laden with wonder. A slow smile bloomed on her lips. She got on her tiptoes, alight with joy. "Now that would definitely be better than a puppy," she murmured, before pulling Sesshoumaru into a kiss.


	9. Distance

**Drabble Nine - Distance**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Kagura trying to break up Kagome's and Sesshoumaru's marriage.

 **Setting:** Modern Day AU.

 **Genre:** Romance, Drama

 **2,608 Words**

* * *

Kagome looked at the dinner laid out on the table before her and clasped her hands together.

Her voice rang small and hollow in the room as she called out her _itadakimasu_.

The delicious smell of food was making her stomach rumble, but hungry as she was, Kagome had little appetite. The taste of the food fled her tongue whenever her gaze landed on the empty chair across from her.

Why she had bothered to set the table for him? Had it been the force of habit, or some silly bout of wishful thinking? Sesshoumaru hadn't been home for dinner for a week now. In fact, as of late he hadn't come home until she was already tucked in for the night. He would try to be quiet, creep through the house, but she would always wake up. She would feel the mattress dip as he laid down next to her. She would hold her breath and wait – but he never reached for her or wished her good night.

Sesshoumaru's company was trying to expand, looking into opportunities to export their products abroad. Currently, they were in the process of trying to woo a big Korean client to sign a contract. It was all very important, and their success would be a huge victory for the business…

But a part of Kagome resented the expansion, not just because it was keeping her husband away from home, away from her – but because of how it was affecting him. The long hours were wearing on Sesshoumaru, the building pressure to seal the deal heaping on more and more stress. He'd grown much more short-tempered, enough so for even Kagome to notice, despite the fact that these days she only saw him in passing in the morning, before he left to work.

It would not be forever, Kagome tried to remind herself, scooping another helping of rice into her bowl. As soon as he could secure the contract, things would calm down and go back to normal. She just needed to be patient and understanding, to wait it out…

But still, it was such a shame not to have him here, with her, at such an important time as this.

Kagome felt something shift within, like ripples running across the surface of a pond. She rested her hand on her rounded belly. She had only recognised the occasional flutters to be the baby's movements three odd days ago, but she still hadn't told Sesshoumaru about them. She hadn't found the time to bring it up; when they sat down for breakfast together in the mornings, he was in no mood for chatting. More often than not, he'd already be hard at work, staring at the screen of his phone, going through all the e-mails that had arrived overnight.

And just like that, they kept piling up, small everyday matters she'd like to tell him about. He was just too busy with work these days to ask her about her day.

Kagome sighed and put down her chopsticks.

As she cleared the table, putting away the unused bowl and chopsticks she had laid out for him; as she carefully packed and tucked the remaining rice and side dishes into the fridge, she decided she could not take this anymore.

She didn't want to be _that woman_ ; she couldn't stand one more day of just sitting around at home, waiting for her husband to come back from work.

She grabbed her phone from the kitchen counter.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Sango."

"Kagome! Hi! How are you? How's the baby?"

"We're both fine," Kagome told her friend, a smile touching her lips. "Listen, I know this is on a short notice, but do you want to go and grab a dinner with me tomorrow?"

"Oh I'd love to! Tomorrow should be a quiet day at the dojo, too, so my evening's all free."

"Great! Meet you at the train station?"

"Sure! Half past five ok for you?"

"Sounds good."

"Good, it's a date, then."

"I'll see you tomorrow!"

Kagome hung up, already feeling much better. For the first time all week, she was actually looking forward to tomorrow.

* * *

"Thanks for this," Kagome said as she and Sango walked along the street, trying to decide which restaurant to go to. "I was starting to go a little stir-crazy."

"Anytime, girl. I'm always ready for a lunch or a coffee or shopping for babyclothes."

"You know, I should actually get some shopping done. I've been working on the nursery and the cupboards were looking a little sad and empty."

"Great. I have next Monday off, we can go then." Sango grinned. "So, how's life?"

"All right," Kagome said with a small shrug.

Sango slanted a quick glance at her.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It's Sesshoumaru. And the baby. It's – I dunno. A lot of stupid little things." Kagome draped her arm over her stomach. "He's trying to get this new, important contract at work so he's just never home these days, and when he is, he isn't really paying much attention to me. And though I know it's just because his work is so crazy right now and it's making him stressed, I feel…"

"Lonely?" Sango suggested, her voice empathetic.

"That, too," Kagome sighed. "Really I guess I'm just feeling insecure? My stomach, it's starting to show now, you know, and I'll only be getting bigger from here on. I'm really starting feel like this isn't my body anymore."

"Kagome," Sango huffed, scowling. "Don't you dare say you're fat. Because you're not. You're pregnant, and you're beautiful. And you need a proper dinner. Now come on, I'll treat you."

They decided on a restaurant and had a very nice dinner, and though the food was great, the company was even better. Trust Sango to save the day and cheer her up.

They talked and laughed, Sango telling about her students at the dojo and blaming Kagome for having infected Miroku with a serious case of baby fever. Kagome talked about the baby and how she had been in a full nesting mode for a while now, thanks to the pregnancy hormones.

"I want to see the nursery as soon as it's finished," Sango said.

"Sure thing," Kagome replied. "I'll let you know when it's done."

"Also, if you want, I can give Sesshoumaru a stern talking to. I think he might be overdue for one."

"Thanks, Sango, but it's fine, really. It shouldn't be for much longer. Once they have the contract, it'll ease up."

"All right, as you wish. But if you change your mind, let me know," Sango replied, the corner of her lips twitching in a smirk.

"I will," Kagome promised with a little laugh. "Thanks for the food! I'll go visit the bathroom real quick."

"You do that. I'll get the bill," Sango offered.

All done, they left the restaurant a few moments later. The two of them strolled down the street, linking arms as they doubled in laughter over Sango's retelling of Miroku's latest mischief. They rounded the corner and the laughter died as they came to an abrupt halt. Kagome's breath lodged in her throat and Sango's fingers dug into her arm in an iron grip as they mutely stared at the scene playing out before them: out there on the street ahead was Sesshoumaru – and in his arms, her lips pressed against his, a beautiful woman.

* * *

Sesshoumaru loved his job and he was fully devoted to the company. That said, he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to take this.

Over the past week or two, work had got insane and stressful. They wanted that contract with the Koreans, which meant that even after leaving the office, Sesshoumaru was stuck dining and drinking with the representatives of the Korean company. He'd much rather have spent that time at home with his wife; he was sorely starting to miss Kagome's cooking. He came home every night, exhausted by yet another busy, long day, and all but collapsed into his and Kagome's bed. He would've loved to scoop her into his arms and just hold her as he drifted off, but he never did – she needed all the sleep she could get and he didn't want to risk waking her up.

And while all that was wearing Sesshoumaru down and trying his patience, the straw breaking his back, the big, fat _thorn_ in his side, was one of the Korean representatives herself. Her name was Kagura, and Sesshoumaru supposed the company had sent her over to negotiate because she was originally from Japan and was thus well-versed in the language and customs.

She was much less versed in keeping their negotiations strictly professional, however. She kept flirting with him, despite the picture of Kagome prominently displayed on his desk. He kept subtly working his wife who was currently pregnant with their first child into the conversation, but Kagura wasn't deterred even by that. He tried to signal that he wasn't interested, never encouraged her advances – but nothing he did seemed to work.

He just didn't know how to deal with her, especially when he couldn't risk offending such an important client until the contract was signed. That was why he was reluctantly waiting it out, even though his patience was wearing thinner day after day.

He almost thought it couldn't get any worse – when somehow, on Thursday evening, Kagura had managed to ditch all the others and Sesshoumaru found himself alone in her company. Sesshoumaru had never been less enthusiastic about dinner as he was when he and Kagura were making their way down the street towards the restaurant.

And then the unthinkable happened – the bitch actually dared to lay her hands on him.

Stunned by disbelief and the sheer _gall_ of this infuriating woman, Sesshoumaru just dumbly stood there – until a furious shriek grated on his ears.

"You fucking _bastard_!"

Sesshoumaru pulled Kagura off him, and saw his wife's best friend Sango striding towards them, her fist already pulled back, ready to break his nose.

"Oh, my," Kagura commented mildly, her hand still curled around Sesshoumaru's arm, but he paid her no heed; he was staring at Kagome, looking forlorn and white as a sheet as she cradled the swell of her stomach.

"Sango, don't," she managed to choke even though her voice was breaking. "Just take me home."

Sango glared at Sesshoumaru and dropped her hand, though it was still clenched in a tight fist as she turned on her heel and walked back to Kagome. She wound her arm around Kagome's shoulders and began steering her away, without throwing a single backward glance to his and Kagura's way.

"That was quite a reaction," Kagura murmured, her voice laced with amusement.

Sesshoumaru whipped around and all his pent-up anger and frustration that had been building for the past few weeks finally boiled over.

He brushed Kagura's hand aside and levelled her with a cold stare.

"I have tried to be patient with you," he said slowly, his voice a harsh whisper. "I have tried to be polite, for the sake of good business. But you presume to kiss me – out in public? In front of my _wife_?"

Kagura was looking at him, her eyes wide, her hands trembling.

"I was just –"

"I know what you were doing, _and so did you_ ," he snarled, not the least bit fooled by her feeble protest. "Forget it. If you want to have a dinner, you'd better call your lawyer and our head of marketing, maybe they can keep you company, I most certainly won't."

"But – where are you going?"

"Home, to my wife."

Kagura pursed her lips, her eyes sparking with determination as she stood her ground.

"But what about the contract?"

"The contract," Sesshoumaru sneered. "I'm not sure I want to be offering it to you after all; I don't think I wish to co-operate with someone who's so unprofessional."

Kagura's cheeks flushed an angry red colour as she gaped at him.

"We had an agreement, you can't just –"

"Nothing has been signed yet," Sesshoumaru reminded her silkily. "And your company is not the only potential partner. Perhaps we should approach one of your competitors instead."

All colour drained from Kagura's face. "No, please, I –"

"I'm going now," Sesshoumaru cut her off. "And I'll sleep on it before I make any decisions. We will discuss the contract at the meeting tomorrow morning."

And with that, he walked away, finally ridding himself of the insufferable woman.

* * *

When Sesshoumaru arrived home, he found Kagome curled up on the sofa, clutching at their wedding picture. Her eyes were red and her face was puffy and she looked downright miserable. With a sigh he knelt before the sofa and gently pried the picture from her slack grip and placed it back on the side table.

"Kagome," he began, guilt churning in his gut as he clasped her hands in his own.

"I know," she spoke, her voice little more than a broken rasp. "I _know_ that you would never, that you… But still for a few moments I thought that maybe…" she drew in a shuddering breath.

"Shhh, it's all right."

It really wasn't, though – he had a lot he needed to apologise for. But for now, he just wanted to reassure her. "I know it must have looked pretty bad but I swear it wasn't –"

"I know," Kagome repeated, "I trust you. It's just that you've been so distant lately and I'm getting all clumsy and fat and with all the crazy hormones, I just… For a second there I doubted you, I'm sorry."

"You're not fat, you're carrying our baby," Sesshoumaru said firmly. He squeezed her fingers and placed a kiss on her knuckles. "And I'm the one who should apologise. I'm sorry that I haven't been around, I'm sorry I've spent more time with that horrible woman than I have with you."

"Who is she?"

"One of the Korean representatives. She's tried to make advances all week no matter how many times I mentioned you or the baby. I have been trying to be on my best behaviour for the sake of the negotiations so I'm almost glad she crossed the line today. I could finally give her a piece of my mind."

Kagome sat up, her eyes wide. "Sesshoumaru, you didn't! What about the contract?"

He met her gaze and held it. "No business opportunity is worth my marriage," he told her. "I threatened to take the contract to their competitors, that should put her in her place."

Kagome's eyes looked incredulous, but the corners of her mouth were twitching.

"You'd really do that?"

"I would. I'm proud of what I do, but at the end of the day, you are the reason I work so hard." He slid his hand to cup her stomach, "and the little one, right here."

A smile bloomed on Kagome's lips then, bright and sweet.

"Please bear with it for a little while longer. Once the negotiations are over and our contract has been signed, I'll take time off. So we can be alone, just the two of us."

"Before there's three of us," Kagome murmured.

"Indeed," Sesshoumaru grinned.

"Oh well," she sighed. "I guess it can't be helped. I'll keep waiting – but only for a little while longer."

Sesshoumaru sat next to her on the sofa and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her, soft and slow, and then rested his forehead against his.

"I promise you're the only one for me."

Kagome smiled, and pulled him into another kiss.


	10. Purple

This drabble as well as the next two were written for reader prompts received in January 2017.

* * *

 **Drabble Ten - Purple**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Dealing with Body Image Issues

 **Setting:** Canon divergence

 **Genre:** Drama

 **1,087 words**

* * *

She was all alone and far from his foolish half-brother and his ragtag retinue of companions; a rather reckless disposition from a girl with such an uncanny penchant for trouble. He was quite prepared to severely admonish her – though why he _cared_ he did not wish to subject to any closer inspection at the moment.

However, his ready reprimands vanished when he caught the sight of her. She sat by a small pond, shoulders hunched, tossing pebbles into the still pool of water and intently staring at the growing ripples.

For a moment, he simply stared – then the words tumbled out before he could stay them.

"Why is your hair _purple_?"

She startled at the sound of his voice and whirled around – but as her blue eyes met his piercing golden ones, she visibly relaxed.

Sesshoumaru was fairly sure he should feel offended by her utter disregard for deadly predators, himself included.

"What do you think?" she asked, tilting her head and raising her hand to the absurd-coloured strands framing her face. "Does it suit me?"

Sesshoumaru arched one very derisive eyebrow at her.

"I quite liked it," she continued, peering down at her reflection. "I thought of going for the bleach-blond thing first – you know, so I could get the total opposite – but I don't think that would've been a good look for me."

Sesshoumaru scowled. It was irritating that she had a penchant for babbling, more infuriating still when her speech was peppered with strange words of which Sesshoumaru could make no sense.

"I do not understand why anyone would wish for such a ludicrous hair," he replied coldly. It was also more than a little unsettling that he disliked it – not the baffling colour necessarily, but the length; he was rather sorry the perplexing priestess had chopped it so short it barely reached her jaw.

"No," she said thoughtfully, looking over at him. "I don't think you would understand."

Sesshoumaru stiffened. He did not care for that measuring look in her eyes.

"Perhaps you could try to explain your reasoning?"

She pursed her lips. Waved her hand. "Even if I tried I'm not sure _you_ would get it. I mean look at you: that hair, those markings, your _eyes_. You're tall and manly and perfect. I bet you've never looked into a mirror and hated what you saw."

Sesshoumaru was taken aback enough that he managed a slow blink. He wasn't surprised that she would think him attractive – many mortal women found daiyoukai appealing or exotic.

He couldn't, however, fathom why she should be disappointed in her own reflection. He had never witnessed her expressing insecurities, she didn't lack for suitors, and she certainly didn't dress to hide her figure. Her long legs were frequently exposed, and her odd kimono did nothing to hide her chest, which, he couldn't help noticing, was very well rounded.

Even so, her assumptions were incorrect.

"Perfect?" he scoffed. "Hardly so, miko. I am marred, and not a day goes by when I would not be vexed by that which I lack."

The woman frowned. "Which you – oh." Her blue eyes grew round. She shifted nervously. "I'm so sorry, I was thoughtless and inconsiderate and –"

"I have no use for your apologies, miko. You were not the one who cut me."

"I did encourage him, though," she said, her voice soft and small, "at the time."

"At the time," Sesshoumaru spoke dryly, "my intention was to kill you both. I cannot fault you for cheering for your protector."

She shook her head, as if his reassurances only served to distress her further. "Still, it must be very frustrating for you. I couldn't imagine living without an arm. My own worries seem so petty now."

"If you care to talk about them, I will listen."

"I don't think I dare, when you have it so much worse."

"There is always someone who has it worse," Sesshoumaru said, exasperated at the miko. "No two people will react to a given situation the same way. One could easily brush off something that would wholly debilitate another. Your worries may seem petty to others, but to you they clearly are _not_."

"That's… nice of you to say." The miko blinked in surprise. "I wouldn't want to bore you though."

"Do you think my time so without value that I would volunteer it to listen just anyone's troubles?"

The miko fidgeted. "Well… if you are sure…?" She looked at him, hesitant.

"I am intrigued, miko, as to what would drive you to dislike your very own reflection," Sesshoumaru confessed. "I never thought you so insecure."

"I'm not – I don't want to be, at least…" She sighed. "I've always felt comfortable in my own skin, and I never really thought much about my appearance. Until I came here, that is."

"Why have you started then?" he asked, when she fell silent.

She hugged her knees and stared at the spare tufts of grass by her feet. Her reply was so quiet he had to strain to hear it.

"Inuyasha."

She lifted her head. Pain was clearly writ in the blue depths of her eyes, a sorrow he would have prior to this day believed the carefree priestess incapable of.

"The issue isn't what I look like; it's _who_ I look like. I care for him, you know? A lot. That's why it's all the more painful… He has this look he gets, this faraway look in his eyes and I know. He might be looking at me, but it isn't me he sees."

She bit her lip, and ruffled her vibrantly purple hair as Sesshoumaru waited for her to continue.

"I've had enough; I can't take it anymore, always being compared to another, only valued as someone's _reincarnation_ … I'm my own person, damnit! So I went and cut my hair. And dyed it purple. So I might look less like _her_." She shrugged.

"I suppose the colour does suit you, atrocious as it is," Sesshoumaru said at last.

She managed a little smile of gratitude. "Competing against a dead lover is bad enough, you know?" she said conversationally. "But it becomes just impossible when said lover doesn't _stay dead_."

"Hnn." Sesshoumaru took few slow steps to close their distance. He bent down, tugging at a purple strand of hair and curling it around his clawed finger.

Her startled blue eyes looked up into his cool golden ones.

"I always did think my half-brother was a great fool," Sesshoumaru remarked.


	11. A Leap of Faith

**Drabble Eleven - A Leap of Faith**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Star Wars AU

 **Universe:** Crossover

 **Genre:** Suspense

 **1,299 Words**

* * *

They were tucked in a remote corner, hidden between towering shelves. They huddled on the floor at the end of the corridor, the girl – Rin – trembling, quiet tears rolling down her pale cheeks, Kagome squeezing her to her chest, rocking her gently. The only sound echoing in the vast halls of the Jedi Archives was that of footsteps, moving slowly but with purpose, growing closer.

It was an ominous sound, but better than the steady rhythm of marching feet, of laser guns being fired; better than the screams and cries of the dying.

The Jedi temple was under attack, their own clones turned against them and killing everyone, making no difference between trained Jedi warriors or younglings. Death was everywhere, and each life extinguished tugged at Kagome's heartstrings.

Kagome felt him before she saw him, dark ripples sending shivers down her spine, and she knew whoever was stalking towards them was no clone.

Maybe that was for the better, she thought grimly; to be cut down by the real enemy pulling the strings behind the scenes, than shot by the tools the clones were.

The footsteps stopped. A tall figure in a dark, hooded cloak stood at the other end of the corridor, looking right at them.

Kagome pressed Rin's face to her chest, so the child would not have to see the fate that awaited them. She watched him as he walked closer, her head held high. A spill of long silver-white hair fell from the confines of the hood. The movement of the cloak revealed the lightsabre strapped to his hip.

He stopped only a few feet from them, and though his face was shadowed by the hood, she caught a glimpse of magenta markings on his cheek, saw the glow of his amber eyes.

Even if she hadn't felt the thrum of ominous power enveloping him, his appearance left little doubt as to his identity.

This was a Sith, here to kill them.

He drew back his cloak, set his hand on his lightsabre.

"Is this how you face death? Meekly, without offering any resistance?" he asked her, his deep voice carrying a hint of sneer.

"I'm not a warrior, I'm a librarian," she told him, her blue eyes cool and calm. "And I do not fear death, I accept it. Just make it quick, and spare the child any pain."

His eyes flashed, his gaze snapping to the girl in Kagome's arms. His lip curled in a snarl.

"I thought all the young were already lost."

Kagome offered no reply, though the news staggered her. She couldn't wrap her mind around it; for all the younglings to be gone, so quickly…

The Sith moved his hand towards them, and Kagome noticed his fingers were tipped with sharp claws.

He held the hand out to her, palm up.

"Come," he said. "Time is of essence."

She stared at him, uncomprehending.

"Come where?"

"Away from here," he bit out impatiently. "I may have arrived too late to stop this slaughter, but I can still save you and the child."

Kagome hesitated only for a few seconds. She knew nothing of his motives, did not trust a Sith – but the only choice she had was between uncertainty and certain death.

Had it been just her, she may never have made such a leap of faith, but if there was a chance – any chance at all – for the girl to be saved…

Kagome took his hand, let him pull her up from the floor.

He turned with a swirl of his cape, still holding on to her hand, tugging her along as he started back up the corridor. In his free hand, he had the lightsabre he had unclipped from his belt, though he hadn't yet activated the sword.

"I do not suppose you have one?" He asked, slanting a brief glance at her.

"Librarian," Kagome reminded him archly, as she adjusted Rin's weight in her arms. She was no longer crying; in fact she was peering ahead at the Sith's cloaked back with interest.

They hurried through the archives, and Kagome's mind still whirled with doubts and questions, but this was not the time or the place to voice them. They left the archives behind, and almost immediately ran into a party of three clones.

The Sith let go of Kagome and cut them down, before anyone could as much as blink.

"Here," he said, tossing one of their guns to Kagome.

She caught it, frowned down at it. Whatever this Sith's motive was, he really did seem to want to get her and Rin out of here. Kagome made her mind, set Rin down.

"Stay behind me," she warned the girl, then gripped the gun and started after the Sith.

Time seemed to move quickly and in flashes as they ran down corridors, stopped every now and then for a skirmish. The Sith was an expert with his lightsabre, cutting the clones down without remorse. Kagome gritted her teeth and threw two clones to the wall with a sweep of her hand, then shot the third.

And then they were out, the towering buildings of Coruscant glittering as far as the eye could see, the Temple and its spires behind them, smoke rising to the sky.

"This way," the Sith said, yanking Kagome's elbow. Kagome scrambled to grab Rin's hand and they ran.

Sitting on her seat in the sleek ship, watching Coruscant grow smaller and smaller as they ascended, Kagome still couldn't quite believe they had made it.

Kagome turned to make sure Rin was all right, then calmed her down with a single touch to her temple. The girl's lashes fluttered, her lids slipped shut.

"Thank you," Kagome said, the words stiff and reluctant. She slanted a look at the Sith piloting the ship. The hood of his cloak had fallen back, revealing a handsome face with high cheekbones and an indigo crescent moon marking his pale forehead.

"I suppose you might not believe it, coming from me, but I am sorry," he said.

"I would imagine you to be happy for your victory today. With the Jedi gone, there will be no one to oppose your master."

"My master is dead," he said curtly. "Lord Sidious threw him aside in favour of a stronger apprentice. And I was never privy to all his plans."

"But you must have known that his plan was to have the Sith rule over the galaxy. For that to happen, the Jedi had to be… disposed of."

"Indeed… But that is no justification for slaughtering children."

There was fury in his voice, and finally Kagome understood; why he had come to the temple, why he had helped her and Rin escape.

"All power comes with a cost," she said softly, the accusation gone from her voice.

He was silent for a moment, then looked at her, his amber eyes glowing.

"Sometimes, the cost is too steep."

"Yes," she sighed in agreement, a lone tear finally sliding down her cheek. "That it is."

Kagome drew a quivering breath, and wiped the tear away.

"They will not take any risks now their throne has been secured," she said grimly. "They will go after the Force sensitive children."

"Then we must get to them first," the Sith growled.

Kagome raised her eyebrow. "We?"

Sullen silence was her only answer.

"I'm Kagome," she finally spoke into the heavy silence of their small ship. "And the girl's name is Rin."

"Sesshoumaru," he replied after a moment.

A cruel name, but Kagome noticed he had dropped the usual Sith prefix.

"I'm glad to have met you, Sesshoumaru," she said – and found that she meant it.

Dark days loomed ahead, but in that darkness, there were still a few flickers of light, shining bright and defiant.


	12. Past Meets Present

**Drabble Twelve - Past Meets Present**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Sesshoumaru's reaction to hot dogs

 **Universe:** Canon divergence

 **Genre:** Gen, Humour

 **2,271 Words**

* * *

Kagome stood by the well fidgeting nervously. Beside her, Sesshoumaru towered as intimidating as ever, his sharp cold eyes surveying the well house, his nose twitching imperceptibly.

"Uhm," Kagome said, twisting her hands into the hem of her shirt. "Once we go outside, it'll be… different."

"This Sesshoumaru would certainly hope so," came his haughty reply. "You humans would surely be pitiful if nothing had changed in five centuries."

Kagome's temper spiked. Her cheeks flushed but she bit her lip. Infuriating as he might be, having Sesshoumaru following her was bad enough. An angry Sesshoumaru would be potentially lethal.

"Just don't freak out. Please."

Sesshoumaru arched one imperious eyebrow contemptuously at her.

Kagome's shoulders slumped in defeat and she climbed up the stairs, crossed to the door of the well house and slid it open.

She blinked and brought her hand up to shadow her eyes; the cheerful sunshine of the beautiful autumn day almost harshly bright after the dimness of the well house. Kagome walked out to the courtyard, Sesshoumaru on her heels.

Kagome slanted him a glance and gave him time to drink it all in. His gaze was flicking around, noting her house, the Goshinboku, the buildings towering in the distance. His nose was definitely twitching now.

Kagome rubbed her eyes tiredly, thinking for the umpteenth time that this was a bad, _bad_ idea. She sighed, gripped the straps of her bulging backpack and started to trot across the yard.

Apprehension grew with each step, and by the time she stood in the entrance way, yelling "I'm home!", her stomach was churning.

When no one replied, a wave of relief crashed over her.

"Come in," she beckoned Sesshoumaru, as she bent to take off her shoes.

He frowned but followed her example, removing his shoes before stepping in after her.

"Have a seat," Kagome gestured at the kitchen table. She set her backpack down and rolled her shoulders. "Can I get you anything? Tea?"

He might have imposed himself on her and she might not have liked his company, but Mama had taught her to be a good host.

He sat on the _tatami_ , looked around the room. "Tea will do," he replied curtly.

Kagome gritted her teeth. "I'll be right back," she promised, and promptly escaped into the kitchen.

She slumped against the counter. Her head fell to rest on her folded arms as she gave in to a silent fit of despair. This would be a complete disaster!

She gave herself ten lingering seconds to wallow, then she steeled herself, stood up straight and put the kettle on.

A moment later, she was sitting stiffly across from Sesshoumaru and cradling a cup of tea in her hands.

Unexpectedly, it was he who broke the silence.

"Your family?"

"Away," Kagome replied. "I don't know where. They didn't leave a note, since they didn't know I was coming."

Sesshoumaru sipped his tea.

Kagome restlessly tapped her finger against the ceramic surface of the cup.

Sesshoumaru got up as soon as he had finished his tea.

"Show me around the house."

His tone made it clear it wasn't a request. Reluctantly, Kagome abandoned her half-finished tea and got to her feet.

She took him into the kitchen first. He showed some interest in the appliances – or, at least, that was what Kagome assumed. It was all really guesswork at best, since his expression didn't even change. He did ask some questions, which Kagome did her best to answer.

They went to the living room next, where Kagome successfully managed to trap him for a good twenty minutes by handing him the remote and sitting him in front of the TV. He soon became completely engrossed with the both of them, leaving Kagome slouching on the sofa and congratulating herself for thinking of such a good distraction.

"I'll pop to my room real quick and change," she told him. After receiving no response in return, she shrugged and left the room.

Kagome was feeling much better after donning her favourite skirt and a warm and comfy knitted sweater. She was even humming when crossing the landing.

But the good mood evaporated quickly as she made her way down the stairs and heard a familiar voice exclaim "Wow, this is awesome!"

Kagome's heart jumped into her throat and she ran down the rest of the stairs two at a time, bursting through into the living room, where Souta was perched on the floor next to Sesshoumaru, gaping at him.

Sesshoumaru stared back, his eyebrow arched.

"Uhm. Souta, please don't bother Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru, please excuse my little brother."

"Hnn," Sesshoumaru said, and turned back to the TV.

Souta bounded over to Kagome.

"Who is he? What is he doing here? Can I hold his sword?"

"He's Inuyasha's older half-brother, and he wanted to see where I came from. And no, you can't."

Souta frowned.

"He came here to see the future?"

Kagome nodded.

"Why are you sitting here then? Why aren't you showing him around the city?"

"Yes, miko," Sesshoumaru's silky voice cut in. "Why are you not showing me around the city?"

Kagome stiffened and glared at Souta. This was exactly what she had wanted to avoid; she had been trying so hard to keep the deadly youkai away from the humans.

"I wasn't sure if it was a good idea to take you out. You, um, attract attention with the hair and the armour and the –"

"And the über cool markings!" Souta enthused.

"Surely all of those things can be remedied," Sesshoumaru countered with a deadpan voice.

"Some of dad's clothes might fit you," Souta suggested helpfully. "I'll go and look!"

Souta scurried away and Kagome fiddled with the hem of her skirt.

"Changing clothes will only solve half the problem," she said, pleading him to see the folly in going out into the city, to change his mind.

Ah, if only.

Sesshoumaru changed before her eyes, his silver-white hair darkening to black, his golden eyes dulling to brown, his pointed ears rounding, his claws retreating, his vivid markings disappearing.

"H-how…?"

"A simple matter of manipulating my youki," he replied with a little shrug, sounding bored.

"I found some!" Souta announced and rushed back into the room, a pile of clothes in his arms.

"I will require some help changing," Sesshoumaru said.

"Souta will give you a hand," Kagome said as she dodged out of the room.

She caught Sesshoumaru's quick glare out of the corner of her eye and immediately realised what she had just said, that the irate youkai had thought she had been making fun of his lack of an arm.

 _Stupid_ , Kagome told herself, sitting down on the _tatami_. She planted her elbows on the kitchen table and rested her forehead on them. There was no way this could go well. If they survived through the day without any fatalities, she'd call it a success.

"We're ready," Souta called from the doorway.

Kagome looked up, then did a double take.

Sesshoumaru looked like a different person, disguised as a human and dressed in old faded jeans and a thick sweater.

"Let us go," he commanded.

Kagome nodded feebly and got up.

"Will you be okay without a coat?" she asked him as she and Souta were putting on their shoes.

"Cold air is of no consequence to me," Sesshoumaru huffed.

"Okay then." Kagome turned to Souta. "You sure you don't want to stay home? What about homework?"

"I'll do it later, this is much more exciting," Souta replied.

Kagome sighed. She hadn't thought she'd manage to persuade Souta to stay home but she'd had to at least try. She steeled herself and got out the door.

"So is there anything in particular you want to see?" she asked as they crossed the yard. "Anything you want to know?"

He mulled that for a moment, staring up at the cloudy sky.

"Everything," he replied at last. "I want to know everything."

Kagome and Souta shared a look.

"The library?" Souta suggested.

"Yes, good idea. Library it is. Let's go."

Cars spooked Sesshoumaru at first. He made no comments or observations, but his head was swivelling fast, as if to drink it all in which was a sure sign of his interest.

"Whose library are we going to visit?" he asked at last.

"Uhh… the city's?"

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow quirked. "You have a library containing a wealth of knowledge that is free for everyone to use?"

"Of course," Souta said. "You'll see."

The train was a bit of a challenge. Sesshoumaru didn't appear to be nervous about boarding it, which was surprising enough – Kagome was positive that Inuyasha would never get on a train.

What he didn't appreciate, however, was having so many people crammed in such a small space.

By some miracle, however, Sesshoumaru didn't slaughter a single human. He didn't even as much as growl, though the corner of his lip did curl up in a snarl.

They made it to the library, safe and sound – and without causing any casualties on the way.

That cheered Kagome up considerably.

She also enjoyed seeing Sesshoumaru pause in the library's lobby, looking around to see tall shelves spanning around them.

"You wanted knowledge," Kagome offered, barely holding back her amusement, "here you have it." She gestured at the shelves.

"Here, too," Souta added, walking over to one of the computers set up for the patrons to use.

Sesshoumaru gave the computer one intrigued look before wandering towards the bookshelves, Kagome on his heels.

* * *

Kagome wasn't sure how long they sat in the library. She had a novel propped open on the desk in front of her, but between sneaking concerned glances at Sesshoumaru she didn't really get much reading done. Meanwhile Souta was poring over at least a fourth volume of a manga series. Sesshoumaru had a whole pile of books in front of him, scattered and open as he perused them. His expression was as unchanged as ever, but he appeared to be engrossed, he hadn't spoken a word in several hours.

"Kagome?"

"Hmm?" Kagome leaned towards Souta.

"I'm hungry."

"Yeah, me too."

She cast a dubious glance at Sesshoumaru. She was loathe to disturb him, and was sure he would prefer to stay and study his books. But any moment now, her stomach would start growling and the library would be closing in another half an hour anyway.

Gathering her nerve, Kagome cleared her throat.

That got no reaction, Sesshoumaru didn't even look up from his books.

"Sesshoumaru?"

 _There we go_. An annoyed glance – not optimal, but a clear indication that she had his attention.

"We should leave. Souta and I need to eat and the library will close soon."

Sesshoumaru didn't reply immediately.

"We can come back tomorrow," Souta suggested.

Kagome's smile grew fixed. Faint as the hope had been, she'd wished she could shove Sesshoumaru down the well tonight and be done with him.

"I can help you look up things on the computer," Souta promised.

Sesshoumaru inclined his head. "Very well."

He got up and Kagome and Souta followed up in suit.

She should focus on the silver lining, Kagome supposed. They had managed to get through one day without any incident. Perhaps they'd survive tomorrow too with minimal manslaughter.

Kagome turned to Souta when they got back out to the street.

"What would you like to eat?"

"I want a hot dog," Souta replied quickly, pointing at a cart further down the street.

"Okay then."

They made their way to the cart, and Kagome did the ordering.

"Would you like one?" she asked, turning to Sesshoumaru.

"I do not require sustenance at this time."

"Okay."

They found a spot nearby to sit and eat. Sesshoumaru stayed standing, and surreptitiously sniffed at Kagome's hot dog.

"I do not smell dog," he informed her, studying the hot dog critically.

"What?" Kagome blinked.

"This meat of yours, it does not appear to be dog."

Kagome set down her hot dog and shot Sesshoumaru a scandalised look. "Of course not! Why would we eat dog?"

Sesshoumaru's eyebrow arched. "Did you not say this food of yours was called a hot dog?"

"Yes, but that's just a name!"

"A very inaccurate one, it would seem."

"Well I didn't come up with it," Kagome snapped, her temper fraying.

Souta was wisely ignoring the both of them and concentrating on his own hot dog.

"You appear upset," Sesshoumaru remarked after a moment of terse silence.

"Because you thought I would eat a _dog_!"

"Why would you not? It is meat like any other."

Kagome deposited the hot dog into her lap and counted to ten. "It's a human thing," she said at last. "We don't eat our pets."

Sesshoumaru stared at her blankly for a moment but mercifully didn't offer any further comments. He just shrugged and focused his attention back to the street and observing the people and cars passing them by.

Kagome and Souta finished their hot dogs in silence, and then all three of them headed for the train to get back home.

Climbing back the stone stairs to the Higurashi shrine, Kagome let out a sigh of a relief. She and her little brother had survived going out in public in modern day Tokyo with _Sesshoumaru_ of all people and nothing bad had happened; no one had died! Perhaps having Sesshoumaru this side of the well wasn't a complete disaster after all.

And then she realised in the next five minutes she'd have to explain her "guest" to her family and groaned in despair all over again.

It was going to be one long evening.


	13. One Step Closer

This drabble and the next two were written when I wanted to participate in Inuvember 2017 and asked for prompts from my readers.

* * *

 **Drabble Thirteen - One Step Closer**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Sesshoumaru's reaction to slow dancing

 **Setting:** Post-canon

 **Genre:** Fluff

 **1,686 Words**

* * *

It was early autumn in Edo and the night was slowly creeping in, but the merriment in the village showed no signs of stopping. Weddings in the village were usually much more lowkey – during the time she had spent in Edo after returning to the Warring States era, Kagome had seen her fair share. But then, the wedding of Lord Sesshoumaru's ward could've never been an ordinary affair.

Kagome had enjoyed the banquet, and Rin and Kohaku had both been glowing with happiness. People were still gathered around the young couple, chatting, laughing, making toasts, drinking _sake_ as the stars began to shine on the darkening sky.

Kagome grabbed a bottle of _sake_ and a dish from the banquet table, then slipped away without anyone paying much notice.

She walked to the stone stairs leading towards Inuyasha's forest, climbed up with sure, silent steps, leaving the feast and the celebration behind.

Kagome kept walking, until she came to the Bone Eater's Well. She sat on the wooden rim, set down the bottle and the dish next to her.

She leaned back and looked at the sky, heaved a sigh.

A rustle of silk was her only warning, then a figure in white emerged from the darkening twilight, and stopped to stand next to her.

"Sesshoumaru!" Kagome pressed her hand over her racing heart. "You're too good at sneaking around."

He arched his eyebrow.

"I do not believe anyone saw you leaving the celebration, so perhaps I should tell you the same."

Kagome flashed him a smile. "I think someone _did_ notice, since you're here."

The corner of his lips twitched. He lowered himself onto the grass by the well, and reached to pick up the bottle. His gaze landed on her to give her a searching look.

Kagome shrugged, picked up the _sake_ dish, and studied Sesshoumaru in silence as he poured her a drink.

"Thanks," she murmured. She brought the dish to her lips, and took a good long sip.

"You have always been very fond of talking," he said, a hint of dry humour weaving into his deep voice. "Perhaps it might help to speak your mind."

Kagome took another sip. She smiled again, but this time it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Am I that obvious?"

Sesshoumaru's calm golden eyes didn't waver. "You slipped out of a celebration to seek solitude. That is most unusual of you, Kagome."

Kagome downed her drink, then held out the dish for Sesshoumaru. Obligingly, he poured more _sake_ for her.

"I like weddings," she said, studying the clear surface of the rice wine. "But the problem with them is that at some point or another I will inevitably start thinking what _my_ wedding would be like."

She slanted him a look as her lips curved. "That's why weddings feel bittersweet to me."

"Why should thinking about your own wedding be bittersweet?" Sesshoumaru asked.

Kagome sipped her _sake_. "For a lot of reasons."

"Such as?"

"Sheesh, you're a stubborn git, aren't you?"

"That has been established many times in the past."

Kagome laughed. "That's true. Oh well. For starters, I guess I'm starting wonder if I'm ever going to even have a wedding."

The look Sesshoumaru gave her could only be described as incredulous. "Why would you not have a wedding?"

She snorted, took a swig. "I have no prospects. And I'm not getting any younger."

"You have never lacked for suitors," he pointed out, his voice cooled with irritation.

"Sure, in the wild days of my youth. They're not exactly lining up for me now, are they?"

His clawed fingers wound around the _sake_ dish in her hands, snatched it away from her and flung it aside as she gasped.

"Sesshoumaru, what…?"

"If you expect me to sit here," he said, his eyes flashing and his voice bordering on deadly, "and listen while you deprecate yourself, you are sorely mistaken."

Kagome eyed Sesshoumaru, wary after his unexpected outburst. She pursed her lips, tried for a light tone of voice. "But I just wanted to wallow a little."

Sesshoumaru didn't reply, only levelled his ire-filled glare at her.

Kagome shook her head.

"Fine, let's assume there's someone willing to be saddled with me and I get to have my wedding. It would still be bittersweet, because in my era, most people marry for love, not for politics."

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrow. "You could well marry for love in this era, too."

"I could. Hopefully, I will. But you see, most girls where I come from dream about their wedding day. Long before they meet the right person, they have this image in their head, of how they want their wedding day to go." A smile twisted Kagome's lips. "At least I do. And if I have my wedding here, it won't be the wedding I always wished for."

"Why not?"

"My family won't be there. That's a big thing. But then there are all these little things too. The ceremony itself, that would be much the same. A tradition that has lasted throughout the centuries. But the celebration after? That has been influenced a lot by Western customs we've adopted."

Sesshoumaru was silent for a while. He turned and moved so he could lean his back against the well, the fur on the pelt draped over his shoulder brushing against Kagome's legs in passing.

"Regarding your family, that is indeed unfortunate. But the other problem is one that could be fixed. There is no reason why you could not celebrate according to the customs you are more used to."  
"That's a perfectly logical point," Kagome said, "but people's reactions rarely follow logic."

"You are overly concerned of what other people think of you."

"And you don't really understand my dilemma."

"I do not," Sesshoumaru admitted. "Which is why you should enlighten me. Name a custom you feel unable to follow in this era."

Kagome bit her lip, slanted a look towards Sesshoumaru. "The first dance. When the bride and the groom dance together."

"And why could that not be done here?"

"Well… It's a very _different_ kind of dancing than any of the kind we do here. It's romantic. Slow. You're touching each other, holding each other. And where would I get the music to accompany the dancing, when the kind of songs I'd love to dance to haven't even been composed yet? I mean I could try to teach some musician a song or two, I guess, but what if that screws up this whole time-space continuum thing and…"

Kagome trailed off, realising that Sesshoumaru was staring at her, the look in his eyes both intensive and speculative.

"… What?"

"Show me," he said.

"What?!"

He got to his feet, offered her his hand. "Show me this dance."

Kagome gawked at him, at the hand he was offering. "How much _sake_ have you had?"

"Hardly any."

"It's very… _involved_ , are you _sure_ you'd be comfortable to –"

"You have piqued my curiosity, Kagome."

"Curiosity killed the cat," Kagome muttered under her breath, but reached to take Sesshoumaru's hand, allowed him to pull her up.

"There's really not much to it," she said, feeling suddenly nervous to be standing so close to Sesshoumaru.

She swallowed when she met her eyes, her fingers trembled a little as she guided his hand to the small of her back.

"This is the hold," she told him, placing her free hand on his shoulder, extending their arms.

She ignored the stuttering beat of her heart, and held Sesshoumaru's gaze.

"Waltz is the most traditional, but at the most simplest you dance just by turning on the spot."

Kagome started moving, trying to ignore the warm weight of Sesshoumaru's hand pressing against her lower back.

He followed her movements with ease – and with a fluid grace that made her prickle with jealousy. And then he was the one who moved, and she the one who followed.

In the darkening night, they swayed and turned, the only rhythm guiding their steps the steady beating of his heart, the mad racing of hers.

She was the one who'd been supposed to show _him_ the ropes, but she felt helpless in his arms, unable to look away from his face. A shiver raced down her spine. She felt like a weak little animal, trapped in place by a deadly predator.

"I can see why you were doubtful," he spoke, his voice soft and deep. He bent closer, his breath warming her cheek as he continued: "This kind of dancing definitely feels intimate."

"Uhhuh," was all she managed to stammer in reply, a blush spreading over her features.

"Perhaps it is not suitable for a wedding celebration," he conceded.

Sesshoumaru's fingers pressed into Kagome's back, pushed her closer.

"Yeah. Like I said, it's a modern, Western thing," she replied, sounding more than a little breathless.

But then, it was easy to forget to breathe, when pressed against a daiyoukai like Sesshoumaru.

He stopped, and with a faltering step so did she.

He held her in place, in his arms. His gaze bored into her, even as he untangled his fingers from hers, so he could cradle her free hand.

"Still, I can see its appeal."

A smile curved his lips, and warmth flashed in his golden eyes.

Kagome squeezed his shoulder for support, fearful that her knees would give out any second. There was an expression on his face she'd never expected to see – and even if she could have somehow imagined Sesshoumaru looking at someone like that, she would never have pegged that someone to be _her_.

"Perhaps, we can dance again, some other night."

Kagome opened her mouth, closed it. Cleared her throat, tried to find her voice.

"Sure."

It came out as a weak, breathy whisper, but Sesshoumaru's smile deepened.

He brought her hand to his lips, held her gaze as he pressed a feather-light kiss on her knuckles.

Kagome stared back at him, knowing that something had shifted tonight, that something had permanently changed between the two of them – and wondered whether she was able to handle all that was yet to come.


	14. Ailment

**Drabble Fourteen - Ailment**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Peony

 **Setting:** Post-canon

 **Genre:** Gen, Humour, Drama

 **1,769 Words**

* * *

 _Any time now_ , Kagome prayed fervently in her mind, shuffling her feet. _Any time now sweet sweet ground just rise up and swallow me whole. Please._

The daiyoukai towered before her, cold fury in his eyes.

She'd rather face him in a battle than have this conversation with him.

He might carve her into bloody little pieces, but at least that would spare her from the misery and humiliation of this situation.

"I left my ward here, because I judged Kaede's tutelage to be the best fit for Rin. Yet, she remains my ward – even if no one here thought it prudent to inform me that she has taken ill."

Kagome squirmed, and wished Kaede was here. The old miko would have dealt with this mess without batting an eye.

"Ummm." Kagome swallowed. "I'm sorry no one's told you, but I'm pretty sure she didn't want you to know. I mean, Rin isn't ill, not really."

Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed, and Kagome took an involuntary step backwards.

"Do not lie to me, miko," he said, his voice low and arctic. And though each word was carefully enunciated, she could hear the growl simmering just beneath the surface.

"I'm not," Kagome replied, coming perilously close to a squeak.

"She is in grave pain," Sesshoumaru ground out. "She can barely rise from her futon, and you dare to tell me she is not ill!"

"She's not!" Kagome winced at his murderous glare. "She's in pain, yes, but not because of an illness."

Sesshoumaru flexed his claws around the hilt of his sword, and slanted her a cold, imperious stare.

"Explain."

Kagome closed her eyes and waited – but the ground didn't swallow her despite all her pleas.

She blew out a breath.

"Rin is…" Kagome faltered, tried again. "Rin's having women's problems."

Kagome could feel the heat on her cheeks, knew they would be burning with embarrassment now.

She figured the worst was over, and was immediately proven wrong: Sesshoumaru's face remained as carefully blank as it had been before.

"I do not understand."

Kagome hid her face in her hands, rubbed her forehead – and gave up.

"I don't know how things work for female youkai, ok? But with human women, once you become old enough to bear children, there's this monthly cycle and basically you will bleed up to a week–"

"I am aware of this issue with human females," Sesshoumaru cut in, impatient.

Kagome blinked. "You are?"

"This Sesshoumaru can smell the blood."

Well, wasn't that just disconcerting.

"Okay. Of course you can." Flustered, Kagome squared her shoulders and soldiered on. "Anyway, yeah, there is the blood, but some women also have stuff like muscle aches, cramps, pain… Unfortunately, Rin seems to be one of them." Kagome paused, tried for a soothing tone of voice. "So you see, like I said, she's not ill. She's just having her period. It's perfectly natural."

Sesshoumaru scowled, angling his head to catch a faint, pained moan.

"There is nothing natural about that," he said, pointing an accusing finger towards the hut where Rin was resting.

Kagome shrugged. She could try to argue, but since this was Sesshoumaru, she'd have better luck butting her head against a concrete wall. It just wasn't worth the headache.

The anger was back in Sesshoumaru's eyes as he pinned her down with his stare.

"Help her."

Kagome bit her lip. "I would if I could. Honest."

The look Sesshoumaru sent her could've chilled her to the bone. "There must be _something_ you can do for her. To ease the pain. You are a miko after all, are you not?"

"Well…" Kagome frowned, racked her brain. "I think Rin mentioned Kaede's given her some medicine before. But we don't have the ingredients to make that now, and I don't know where to get any."

Sesshoumaru jaw clenched. "What ingredients?"

"Peonies. The root of white peony."

Sesshoumaru's spine stiffened and he grew very still.

Kagome felt a touch of concern – his face didn't betray much, and yet he looked faintly ill.

"Are you all right?"

"Peonies," he replied, from behind gritted teeth. "You need white peonies to help Rin?"

Kagome raised her eyebrow. She'd just told him that, hadn't she? Why was he so wound up over pretty flowers?

"Yes."

He huffed in displeasure, and turned to walk away.

"Are you coming, miko?"

"Huh? What? Where?"

Sesshoumaru glowered at her over his shoulder. "To get white peonies for Rin."

"You have white peonies?"

"I know where to find some."

His tone was coldly dismissive; a clear sign that the conversation was over.

Kagome wasn't sure if she should be relieved she hadn't died from embarrassment after all, or worried about the darker, brooding turn Sesshoumaru's mood seemed to have taken.

She shook her head, and hurried after him.

* * *

Once more, Kagome grabbed onto the white pelt trailing after Sesshoumaru's steps, as he launched himself into the air with little warning. Kagome squeezed her eyes shut, buried her face in the soft fur and hoped not to plunge into her death.

She stumbled as her feet touched something solid, but kept squeezing her lifeline in a white-knuckled grip.

Until a cool voice spoke.

"You can let go now, miko."

Kagome opened her eyes, let the fur slide through her fingers – and gaped.

They were standing before a stone staircase, leading up the side of a castle. A castle _in the sky_.

Sesshoumaru started up the steps, and Kagome followed him, turning her head, trying to peek from behind his back, drinking in everything.

He stopped, and she hesitated a moment before she circled around to stand next to Sesshoumaru, hoping he wouldn't take offence to such familiarity.

And Kagome stared some more, because they'd come to a landing, and before them stood what could only be called a throne. In that throne, lounged a female youkai dressed in rich kimono, over which she wore a fur-lined _uchikake_ , and whose facial markings, silver-white hair, and sharp golden eyes looked disturbingly familiar.

"Back again, Sesshoumaru?" the demoness drawled, propping her chin against a hand tipped in pointed red nails. "And with another human female, I see. Are you planning to follow in your father's footsteps after all, despite all your past declarations to the contrary?"

Kagome felt a terrible urge to step back behind Sesshoumaru's back, when tension and animosity spiked in the air. As if the oppressing _youki_ hanging heavy in the air wasn't bad enough…

Sesshoumaru's lip curled in a sneer. "Do not be absurd, mother."

Kagome tried not to gawk – she really tried.

 _But holy crap, this was Sesshoumaru's_ mother?!

The demoness arched one imperious eyebrow.

Sesshoumaru spared Kagome a glance. "She is one of the caretakers of Rin."

"Oh yes, the little human girl you were so unnaturally fond of."

The dismissive wave of the demoness' hand had the first sparks of irritation stirring in Kagome's chest. But she managed to hold her tongue in check.

"So," Sesshoumaru's mother drawled, "for what do I owe this visit?"

"Rin is unwell."

The demoness snorted. "Am I supposed to care about that?"

Kagome's hands balled into fists. Beside him, Sesshoumaru growled.

"We merely wish to visit your garden, mother," he said, struggling to keep his temper in check. "There is a plant there that will ease her pain."

The demoness heaved a sigh. "You really disappoint me, Sesshoumaru. It is not wise to grow so attached to humans. Even if you fetch this plant for her, she will die soon."

The words rushed out before Kagome could bite them back. "A short life does not make it a meaningless one. And it's never a weakness to _care_."

The full weight of the demoness' golden stare shifted onto Kagome.

"You are young, even for a human, and I have lived considerably longer than you have, girl. I know these things."

Kagome lifted her chin. "You'd really think so, wouldn't you? With all your experience, you _should_ know better. And still you sound so ignorant."

The demoness snarled, and her _youki_ pulsed, _pushing_ against Kagome like a dreadful gust of wind.

Kagome glared at her, and let her _reiki_ rise. It swelled in one swift mad rush, like a tidal wave, and wound around Kagome; a cold shield of purity.

Surprise flashed briefly on Sesshoumaru's mother's face, then her eyes narrowed.

"Not just a human," she said on a quiet tone dripping with exasperation, "but a _miko_. The company you keep these days, Sesshoumaru, does make me wonder."

"Yes," Kagome snapped, before Sesshoumaru could reply. "I'm a miko. So don't try me. Now, Sesshoumaru and I are going to visit your garden, grab the plant we need, and get out of your hair. Any objections?"

The demoness leaned back in her seat, her face a blank mask reminiscent of Sesshoumaru's. But for a fleeting second, emotion flashed in her eyes.

Was that…? No, Kagome couldn't have seen right. There was no way that a lowly human – worse, a miko – snapping at her would _amuse_ Sesshoumaru's mother.

"If you insist," she said, sounding bored now. "Be quick."

Kagome started walking, before she realised she had no clue where the gardens actually were, and had to stop and wait for Sesshoumaru to take the lead.

They walked in silence; found the garden in question – a lovely oasis of greenery and blooming trees and flowerbeds. Kagome collected a couple of the white peonies, making sure to get their roots, while Sesshoumaru waited.

Then, after a curt warning, they were up in the air and on their way back to Edo.

Kagome was only glad they had not gone back around the castle exterior where they would have had to meet with Sesshoumaru's mother one last time.

She was even gladder, when her feet touched the ground on the outskirts of Edo.

She let go of his pelt, then walked around to face him. "I don't wanna be rude or anything, but your mom is a _real_ piece of work."

"Hnn. There is a reason why this Sesshoumaru rarely visits her."

"Can't blame you."

"You have enough for the medicine?"

"Sure. I've never prepared it, but I should have the instructions somewhere. I've been writing Kaede's remedies down for just these kinds of occasions."

Sesshoumaru nodded stiffly, then met her eyes. "Thank you. For helping Rin."

Now that was something Kagome had never thought she'd hear from his lips.

She flashed him a smile. "No problem. I'll get right on it."

It had been a rollercoaster of a day, she reflected as she hurried towards Kaede's hut. But in the end, it had turned out all right.


	15. Heroes of Yamato

**Drabble Fifteen - Heroes of Yamato**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Crossover with a video game

 **Setting:** AU

 **Genre:** Gen, Humour, Action

 **1,817 Words**

* * *

 _Many thanks to my friend the Dah with whom_ HeroYa _and Sesshoumaru's and Kagome's characters therein were originally brainstormed for that silly indulgent "stuck in a MMO world" crossover that we started writing several years ago and which is still in some desk drawer collecting dust._

* * *

Sesshoumaru sat at his desk, plunked his coffee mug in front of his keyboard, and clicked an icon on his desktop to start up _Heroes of Yamato_ , the massive multiplayer online role playing game that had become his guilty pleasure.

He ran his hand through his hair and stifled a yawn.

It was barely five in the morning, as he typed in his login information and waited for the game to load. There was a particular world boss he was dead-set on defeating. He'd been keeping an eye on it for a while now, but the bastard only spawned once a week. And even though the game was massive multiplayer, Sesshoumaru's in-game friend list was empty. He played alone, and was happy to stay solo.

But that also meant that in order to be able to take on that wold boss by himself, he had to be there early, at a time when very few other players were online.

Sesshoumaru's character appeared on the screen, standing at the edge of Ashikaga, the starting village for the Tokyo server of _HeroYa_.

He checked his inventory, made sure he was ready to go and had enough spare room left in his bag to snatch any items the boss might drop after he destroyed it.

All set. Sesshoumaru smirked, and headed out.

The village was thankfully empty at this hour, as he walked across it, heading towards the area where the boss would spawn.

Usually, Sesshoumaru would avoid this area like the plague – starting areas like this were usually teeming with noobs, the most loathsome breed of all his fellow players.

Not that he cared overmuch about _any_ players of the game. At best, he felt a grudging respect to some successful veterans, like the _Wanderer_ , who was a solo player like Sesshoumaru and topped the achievement-lists in exploring and the open world challenges, or _Shinigami_ , a member of the famous guild _Bloody Slayers_ , and whom some other players reverently or jokingly called the god of raids.

Still, Sesshoumaru was here to play, not make friends – which was probably why the only place he enjoyed engaging with his fellow players was in the PVP arena. That was where he spent most of his time when in game, and had racked quite a reputation.

He stopped at the crest of the hill, scanned the spreading valley below. It was still empty, but any moment now…

He drank his coffee and waited.

Sesshoumaru was running through a last minute check of his gear when the air on the flowery meadow shimmered, and a huge dragon appeared.

It uncoiled its massive body, raised its head high and roared.

Sesshoumaru flexed his fingers and grinned as he gripped his mouse tighter.

It was show time.

Alone, he walked down the hill to face the dreaded Ryuukotsusei.

The music picked up as the battle commenced, and anticipation made his heart drum in his chest. This world boss was one of the toughest in the game to beat, and most people would probably say that trying to solo the fight would be suicide… But Sesshoumaru would prove them wrong.

It would not be an easy battle, even if his character was the highest possible level. Then again, he wouldn't be doing this if he wanted an easy victory.

Sesshoumaru started by laying on the buffs, then dealt the first damage by throwing his favourite ice spell at the dragon. It shrieked, even though the spell didn't deal quite as much damage as Sesshoumaru had hoped.

He frowned at his screen, rolled his shoulders. Time to get serious, he decided, and clicked _Shapeshift_.

On screen, Sesshoumaru's character – the tall and elegant elf druid with a silver-white hair that flowed all the way to his knees – shimmered and vanished. In its place stood a sleek white panther, with magenta stripes running around its legs and an indigo crescent moon adorning its brow; the same markings his character carried in his humanoid form.

The panther roared and charged, swift and deadly. It rushed at the dragon, tearing into it with teeth and claw.

Sesshoumaru's fingers danced over the keys; furious clicking of his mouse filled the air along with sharp intakes of breath and a few choice words he hissed out.

The panther form was one of Sesshoumaru's favourites. It was built for speed and stealth and damage. It also worked really well for the boss.

Ryuukotsusei had staggering stamina, and getting its health bar reduced into red would take time and serious investment. It also hit too damn hard.

Sesshoumaru cursed, and downed a health potion. The best strategy was to hit the dragon in the rear and try to avoid the bigger attacks. Thankfully, due to his vast experience in the PVP arena, Sesshoumaru was very good both at dodging and rogue-tactics.

Minutes ticked by.

Sesshoumaru landed a combo attack at the dragon's exposed back, and finally the boss' health points dropped into the red.

Sesshoumaru grinned in triumph – and took a hard hit.

He swore, dodged and cast a healing spell.

The final stage of the battle would be the true test. Both he and his opponent would be nearing their limits. With them being so evenly matched, it became a matter of endurance and strategy.

It was time to switch forms, but Sesshoumaru didn't have enough mana left to cast the spell. He gritted his teeth and spammed physical attacks, but the mana was replenishing too slow. He went for the potion, then hit _Shapeshift_ again.

The sleek panther transformed into a sturdy, muscled wolf with silver-white fur and the same markings he carried in all of his forms.

The wolf would deal less damage, but it had a higher defence than the panther. It would be able to last longer than the stealthy cat.

Sesshoumaru sank back into the familiar rhythm of attacking and dodging, always keeping an eye on his cooldowns, his mana usage, his health points.

And then the boss went on a rampaging attack that Sesshoumaru was unable to dodge.

The screen started to become tinted with red.

Sesshoumaru's gaze flitted to his mana. Too low to cast a healing spell. He'd just taken a healing potion before, so that was still in cooldown. He clenched his jaw, holding on by the skin of his teeth – and then the red faded.

Out of nowhere, he had recovered 60 health points; a drop in the ocean, really, given how high level his character was… But in this desperation at the end of a long and bloody battle, that one drop could well be the difference between life and death.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. Timely as that regen was, health points didn't just materialise out of thin air.

Still engaged in his epic battle, he couldn't really go on and have a look, but he was ready to bet his best PVP gear that somewhere outside the fight there was a healer with a bleeding heart, extending their helping hand. And judging by that miserable drop of 60 points, they also were a goddamn noob.

Sesshoumaru gnashed his teeth, as his character on the screen sank its fangs into the dragon boss' side.

He was a solo player, damnit! He didn't want or _need_ help from anyone, least of all from a Good Samaritan noob healer.

He growled and launched into a new attack.

* * *

"Come on, come on, come on!" Kagome muttered, tapping her fingers and willing her mana to regenerate faster so that she could cast another healing spell.

It was early in the morning. Kagome had finally given up on sleep and got up. Wanting to forget all about the impending doom ahead – the math test they'd have that afternoon – she'd logged on to the game she'd started playing not too long ago. _Heroes of Yamato_ was the current obsession of her little brother Souta, and having spent enough time watching the game over his shoulder, Kagome had become curious herself.

She'd just got to level 12 last weekend and got her first real healing spell. She'd intend to just get the daily quest out of the way before she needed to go to school (eurgh!), but then she'd stumbled on a lone druid engaged in a fierce battle against Ryuukotsusei, the world boss that was one of the toughest in the game.

He was doing incredibly well; the fight was in its final stages and he was slowly but surely eroding the boss' health bar. He fought fiercely, and at first Kagome had simply stopped to admire the battle, awestruck to see a high-level, seasoned player at work, going _solo_ against a world boss. How kick-ass was that?

But when he'd taken a bad hit, Kagome had acted before thinking, and utilised her brand new healing spell. It hadn't made much a difference – the gap between their levels was too huge for her to be able to heal him properly.

That, of course, did not stop Kagome; even a little help was better than no help, right?

So she settled down and put in some serious effort, casting health regen buff while her healing spell was in cooldown, dipping into her storage of potions to help to keep up her mana.

The healing spell was a very exhausting spell for her to cast, draining a lion's share of her mana points each time – which only made Kagome more determined to do her part.

She followed the battle, and kept healing and boosting the lone druid to the best of her capabilities, helping him recover his health points inch by an inch.

And then Ryuukotsusei threw back his head, roared, collapsed and disappeared.

Kagome cheered, as she watched the items drop for the victorious druid to pick.

She clicked the chat box active, typed a quick message.

 _Congrats! Awesome fight!_

The wolf-formed druid looted his items in silence, then left without a word.

Kagome shrugged, and went back to picking flowers for her quest.

* * *

Three days later, when she next logged in to the game, Kagome found a surprise waiting in her inbox.

Someone had sent her a gift!

How sweet! Must be from Souta. Or maybe Kaoru?

She clicked on the gift icon attached to the letter, and a wrapped up present topped with a bow appeared at her character's feet.

She clicked it open – and her jaw slackened when a stack of thirty level 50 mana potions dropped into her inventory.

Who would be sending her such high-level goods? And why? No one she knew had a max level character so it couldn't have been any of her friends. There'd been no personalised message on the letter, no character nick.

Baffled though she was, Kagome didn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Beaming at her screen, she went to find a bank, so she could store her mana potions and keep them safe until she could use them.

Thank you for the prompt! I tweaked it a little, hope that's ok… I don't play much myself so my knowledge of video games is peripheral at best. That's why I went with a Gamer AU instead of trying to find a fitting video game for crossover and then researching it. Especially, since this way I already had half the work * done for me. ;D

* Some years ago, rahmakapala and I started writing a totally indulgent xover fic with the whole "Stuck in an MMO world" scenario, so _heroya_ as well as Sesshoumaru's and Kagome's characters already existed at the back of my mind, just had to dust them all off a little. ;)


	16. Even the Mighty Fall

This and the following fourteen drabbles were written in January 2018 to celebrate gaining 500 followers on Tumblr. Due to time constraints I limited myself to 500 words or less, to this time they are _actual_ drabbles.

* * *

 **Drabble Sixteen - Even the Mighty Fall**

* * *

 **Prompt** : The Western Lord is in love

 **Setting:** Canon

 **Genre:** Fluff, Humour

 **300 Words**

* * *

The Lord of the West was a daiyoukai of few words and fewer emotions – as befitted a noble of Sesshoumaru's calibre.

It was a privilege of the highest order to act as a retainer for such an esteemed daiyoukai.

Jaken had served his Lord for many years; seen him on good days and bad.

But on one summer afternoon, as they were lounging at the edge of a clearing near Edo, Jaken spared his Lord a side-glance… and froze.

His Lord was watching Rin and Inuyasha's miko, but his eyes were _wrong_ – the usual piercing amber had mellowed into soft gold.

The corners of his lips were curled up in a smile – a smile fully unlike his Lord, for it lacked any sharpness or smugness; it was neither a sneer nor a promise of imminent bloodshed.

A _tender_ expression had taken over his Lord's features, and in all the years he had been serving Lord Sesshoumaru, this was the moment Jaken felt cold fear grip him.

Of course, Jaken immediately rationalised what he'd just seen.

It was all because of the girl.

Rin had an uncanny ability to worm her way into others' hearts – even Jaken had grown fond of the young human, and he knew the child's charm had gripped his Lord as well.

But only a moment later, when Inuyasha's miko got up and started walking towards them, Jaken realised to his horror that it wasn't Rin on whom his Lord's hooded eyes were trained.

The miko flashed his Lord a bright smile, then held out a flower crown she'd woven.

As Jaken gawked, Lord Sesshoumaru inclined his head, graceful as always, and allowed her to place it on.

Graciously accepting the miko's silly token could only mean one thing: the Lord of the West was in love.


	17. Persuasion

**Drabble Seventeen - Persuasion**

* * *

 **Prompt** : Combined girl power: Sesshoumaru has no chance against Rin and Kagome

 **Setting:** Modern AU

 **Genre:** Humour

 **500 Words**

* * *

"C'mon dad, please?"

Rin clasped her hands, her big brown eyes pleading with just the right mixture of hope and desperation.

She caught the brief flash of helplessness on her father's face and almost celebrated her victory, but then he crossed his arms, clenched his jaw and dashed her hopes with a single word.

"No."

 _Damnit_. Rin drew in a shuddering breath and let her eyes mist over. She stomped her foot in a show of pre-teen drama and made sure her father noticed the tremble on her lips, before she sniffed audibly and fled the scene.

Reaching her room, Rin slammed the door shut behind her for good measure.

Flopping down onto her bed, she let out a sigh.

Rin could count the times her puppy dog gaze had failed her with one hand. Her father had been adamant this time.

Rin frowned at the ceiling, and thought furiously what her next step should be. She could be just as stubborn as her father, and was not about to give up so easily.

She might have lost the battle, but she still had a chance to win the war.

But for that, she'd have to pull in the big guns.

Her mind made, Rin reached for her phone and texted her stepmother.

* * *

Dinner that night was a tense occasion, with Kagome struggling to maintain a cheerful monologue while Sesshoumaru brooded over his curry and Rin cast sullen, accusatory glances at her father every chance she got.

Kagome had initially thought to take her time with her campaign: let Sesshoumaru come to terms with the idea and then erode his resistance little by little.

But if this was what their family dinners were going to be like, it was best to resolve the situation sooner than later. So that very same night – as Sesshoumaru's guilt was still fresh from Rin's silent treatment earlier – Kagome broached the subject while they prepared for bed.

"Don't feel too bad about Rin being upset," she said, her tone conciliatory. "Twelve year old girls can be full of drama."

"I didn't think she'd take it so hard," Sesshoumaru muttered, slipping under the blanket and reaching for his book from the nightstand.

Kagome got into the bed, curled up against Sesshoumaru's side. "Children and pets, you know what it's like. I asked for a pet three Christmases in a row."

"You did?"

"Sure, I _really_ wanted one. And then later we did get Buyo so my wish came true."

"Hnn."

Kagome caressed Sesshoumaru's chest. "I kind of hope you would reconsider, though."

Sesshoumaru stiffened. "Why?"

"Why not? We have plenty of room, we'd get the kitten for free from Sango and cats require minimal care."

"I suppose."

"Also, honestly, I'd like having one around again. Just think how happy Rin would be."

"She'd be overjoyed," Sesshoumaru admitted after a terse silence.

Kagome held her breath and waited.

"…I'll think about it," Sesshoumaru said at last.

Kagome smothered her smile and leaned in to kiss Sesshoumaru's cheek.


	18. An Important Lesson

**Drabble Eighteen - An Important Lesson**

* * *

 **Prompt** : Sesshoumaru giving Kagome a lesson on survival

 **Setting:** Post-canon

 **Genre:** Humour

 **500 Words**

* * *

"This Sesshoumaru has observed you cannot fend for yourself well when you are on your own."

The miko scowled at him, her blue eyes dark and stormy. "I resent that."

"Your resentment is noted and irrelevant. Now, I will endeavour to teach you to survive in the wild."

The miko crossed her arms and levelled him a look, which he promptly ignored.

"Imagine you are stopping for the night in the wild," Sesshoumaru started. "What should you do?"

The miko shrugged. "Find a source of water, if possible. Build a fire. Eat and rest."

"A fire could reveal your location to potential enemies, it is a risk better avoided."

"Um, but it's a necessary risk?"

"I fail to see how."

"Well depending on the time of the year, for not freezing to death overnight for starters," the miko quipped. "You need fire to cook, too."

"All right, let us talk about food then. How would you get it?"

"I'd carry provisions?"

"You do not have provisions."

The miko shot him a glare. "Then I guess I'd forage. And fish, if there was a water source nearby."

Sesshoumaru stared at her, appalled. Just how poorly trained was this woman?

"The best way to procure food," he started in a lecturing tone, "is to hunt. First you need to scent your prey. Then you stalk, and go for the kill at the opportune moment."

"Uhh, yeah, I guess hunting's good if I stay in the same spot for a longer time. I could lay out traps and all. But other than that I don't think it's an option."

Sesshoumaru could barely believe his ears.

"Why would hunting not be an option?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"One, you might fail to get anything at which point you've just wasted your time. Second, even a small rabbit would probably yield more meat than what I could eat alone in one sitting. Preparing the meat would take time, as would preserving any leftover meat."

"Preparing how?"

The miko looked at him, as if he were the one talking nonsense.

"Well first you need to get the meat out of the rabbit. Then you'd have to cook it, probably make a stew or if you're in a hurry just stick bits on skewers and –"

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrow. "If you are in a hurry, just eat the rabbit."

"Raw?!"

Sesshoumaru nodded.

The miko pinched the bridge of her nose. "Look, Sesshoumaru, you obviously have good intentions and I appreciate that, but you don't really understand the situation here."

"And what situation would that be?" Sesshoumaru asked stiffly.

"That your survival tricks are no help to me because I'm _human_."

Sesshoumaru blinked slowly.

"That is true," he conceded after a moment. "Perhaps we can compromise."

"How?"

"Will you promise not to venture into the wild without this Sesshoumaru?"

"Yeah." The miko rolled her eyes. "Sure."

"Very well then."

"Great. Can I go now?"

Sesshoumaru inclined his head and the miko stalked off, shaking her head.


	19. A Blast from the Past

**Drabble Nineteen - A Blast from the Past**

* * *

 **Prompt** : Kagome meeting Sesshoumaru's mother for the first time

 **Setting:** Canon divergence

 **Genre:** Drama

 **500 Words**

* * *

Immersed in browsing social media on her phone at a corner table, Kagome didn't register the soft ring of the bell announcing a new customer entering the coffee shop.

But on the heels of that happy sound came a distinct ripple of dark energy, which sent a tremor down Kagome's stiffening spine.

Kagome looked up and scanned the coffee shop to find the demon who had just walked in.

Judging by how skilfully they were masking their _youki_ , it was probably a strong one.

Every patron in the shop looked as human as Kagome was, so the demon must have also been wearing a disguise.

But really, none of that mattered. Because in the five years since her wish on the jewel had forced Kagome back to her own time, this was the first time she'd brushed against a youkai.

Kagome's curiosity won over her caution and she tapped into her _reiki_ , utilising just enough energy that she might see through the charm, shield or illusion the demon was hiding behind.

It was the middle aged woman on the counter who suddenly morphed before Kagome's eyes.

Her dark hair became silver-white, the hands paying the barista became tipped with sharp claws. And as the demoness turned, Kagome's jaw dropped.

The familiar shape of a crescent moon peeked from under silver-white bangs. Two curving markings of vivid magenta adorned high cheek bones. Piercing golden eyes met her gaze directly.

As the demoness stalked closer, Kagome's only thought was Sesshoumaru.

Had he managed to have a daughter in the past 500 years? Or had Inu no Taishou had a third child no one had known about?

And then the demoness was standing across from her, a wry smile on her painted lips.

"Is this seat taken?"

Kagome shook her head mutely.

The demoness sat down. She sipped her tea and then peered at Kagome over the rim of the fancy tea cup, arching her eyebrow in an expression that so perfectly echoed Sesshoumaru's that for a moment Kagome's heart ached for the has-beens.

"You're playing a dangerous game, little miko, exposing yourself like that," the demoness said.

"I…" Kagome swallowed and licked her lips. "I haven't met a youkai for a while. I had to know."

The demoness cocked her head. "Why?"

"In case it was a friend. Or someone I know."

"A miko befriending youkai?" The demoness let out a rich chuckle. "The world has changed, but not that much."

Kagome took the second risk of the day.

"I'm friends with Sesshoumaru. Sort of."

The eyebrow rose again, this time in surprise. "Truly? You are acquainted with my son?"

 _Eh? Son?!_

"You're Sesshoumaru's _mother_?"

"Indeed. My name is Tsukiko. What's yours, little miko?"

"Higurashi Kagome."

"The Shikon miko?" The other eyebrow shot up to join the first. "Here? Now? How is that possible?"

Kagome's cheeks flushed. "That's kind of a long story."

Tsukiko leaned back in her chair, a slow smile spreading to her lips. "I've got all day, little miko."


	20. Fall For You

**Drabble Twenty - Fall For You**

* * *

 **Prompt** : Detailed description of the scene

 **Setting:** Canon

 **Genre:** Humour

 **500 Words**

* * *

In a very roundabout way, it could all be blamed on little Rin, because travelling through war-ravaged Japan with an energetic eight year old was a great way to hone one's reflexes.

Most of the blame, however, lay on the shoulders of the bird youkai who had snatched Inuyasha's miko.

Finally, the miko herself shared part of the blame; her penchant for getting into trouble was legendary. Furthermore, this time she had directly put herself in the predicament by stabbing the bird youkai in the foot with an arrow in her bid to escape his clutches.

It was a plan which she clearly hadn't had any time to think through, for escape she did – dropping fast through open air towards the ground waiting far down below.

It was the bird youkai's howl of pain that first alerted Sesshoumaru, and had him glance up from cover of the trees.

A second or two later, the miko's scream joined the bird youkai's shriek.

Sesshoumaru shrugged his shoulders and kept walking.

Just as he stepped onto a clearing, he saw a flash of movement.

Even with his honed demonic reflexes, he only barely managed to hold out his arm and snag the falling miko to him, seconds before she would have hit the ground right at his feet.

The miko trembled in his arm, muttering something Sesshoumaru couldn't catch, the words muffled in the soft fur of the pelt over Sesshoumaru's shoulder, against which her face pressed.

She had wound her arms around him, clinging to him so fiercely that her fingers were digging into his upper back.

Sesshoumaru stared down at her, and found that, somehow, he wasn't even surprised by the turn of the events.

"This Sesshoumaru wonders," he drawled in a wry monotone, "how one human can be so much trouble."

The miko looked up.

Her mouth was parted, her cheeks were flushed and her long dark hair was tousled. She met his gaze, her eyes big, impossibly blue and glistening with tears.

Something inside Sesshoumaru stirred at the sight.

She drew in a shaky breath, her fingers easing their grip of him a little.

"That's the second time," she said in a hoarse whisper, "that you have saved my life."

Sesshoumaru felt a little discomfited by the information, so he arched one imperious eyebrow at her.

"Given how frequently you put yourself in danger, that is quite a low number."

His words startled a laugh out of her. Her mouth curved, those blue eyes lit up.

And then the miko did something even more unexpected.

She squeezed him and leaned in close, her hair brushing against his cheek. She held him in that tight embrace for three long seconds, before she pulled back.

"Thank you."

Sesshoumaru relinquished his hold, and she slid down to her feet; still a little shaky from her fall earlier.

In the distance, her companions were calling out her name.

She flashed him one last smile and walked away.

Thoroughly disconcerted, Sesshoumaru watched her go.


	21. Taking Root

**Drabble Twenty-one - Taking Root**

* * *

 **Prompt** : Sesshoumaru being jealous

 **Setting:** Post-Canon

 **Genre:** Drama

 **500 Words**

* * *

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin welcomed him with a delighted smile. The expression was familiar, but Sesshoumaru noted with a pang that the face was changing; already hovering between that of a girl and a young woman.

"I'm so glad you came!"

"Hnn." Sesshoumaru inclined his head. "I trust you have been well?"

"Oh, yes. I was so excited about the festival I couldn't sleep last night."

Rin grabbed his hand, tugged him towards the village.

They'd put up festive decortions. People were gathered around the feast that had been laid out.

The old miko was there. The slayer and the monk as well, and their ever growing brood of children. Kohaku nodded at him in welcome, and Sesshoumaru nodded back.

Inuyasha locked eyes with him for a brief moment, then looked away, scowling.

Sesshoumaru ignored him and sat down next to Rin.

He listened to snatches of conversations around him. Dutifully ate everything Rin piled into his bowl. Sipped tea and downed the occasional cup of sake.

And most of all, he tried not to stare at the young, blue-eyed miko, sitting next to Inuyasha.

He couldn't really tell why, but every time he caught a glimpse of her, chatting and laughing beside the half breed, he grew irritated.

When he glanced over and saw the miko pouring sake for Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru could no longer stay silent and grit his teeth.

"I thought the miko and Inuyasha were no longer romantically involved," he commented to Rin.

"Oh, they're not," Rin replied. "They separated months ago, and they were having problems long before that."

"They do not seem to be having any problems now," Sesshoumaru said, taken aback by the venom in his voice.

Luckily, Rin didn't seem to have noticed his slip.

"They're working on it, because they want to stay friends," she told him. Then, her voice lowered into a confidential whisper. "It's been pretty rough on them, though the decision to break up was mutual. It's been getting better between them only in the last couple of weeks."

"What kind of problems were they having?" Sesshoumaru asked, his eyes narrowed as he watched the miko smile at Inuyasha.

"They were disagreeing a lot. And their tempers clashed pretty often." Rin was quiet for a moment, then looked up at Sesshoumaru. "Do you think people can miss their moment?"

Sesshoumaru blinked at the sudden question. "I am not entirely certain I understand your meaning."

"It's something Kagome said, that they had missed their moment."

"People change over time," Sesshoumaru said, trying not to think about that stranger hovering around the edges of Rin's familiar face. "Some more than others. So I suppose it is possible."

Rin sighed. "It seems sad somehow. They deserved to be happy."

"They seem happy now," Sesshoumaru said, his gaze lingering on the miko.

Rin looked over as well. "They do," she agreed. "I guess sometimes people are happier apart than they are together."

"I guess so," Sesshoumaru conceded – and for some reason, felt a little lighter.


	22. Object of Fascination

**Drabble Twenty-two - Object of Fascination**

* * *

 **Prompt** : Sesshoumaru trying to ride Kagomes bicycle

 **Setting:** Canon

 **Genre:** Humour

 **499 Words**

* * *

Curiosity was not an emotion which often plagued Sesshoumaru, but the young miko who travelled with the half breed had become an object of fascination.

Both the manner of her dress and speech were outlandish.

And then there was the way she kept disappearing.

Sesshoumaru had been keeping track, watching her go down a well and stay gone and then return, lugging her odd satchel with her.

Obviously, magic was at work; the well was a gateway through which the miko travelled… but where?

That was the question that bothered Sesshoumaru.

And tonight, he'd satisfy his curiosity.

Their campsite was quiet. Inuyasha, who had been keeping watch while his companions slept, was nowhere to be seen; he'd given in to his temptations and followed the ghostly gliding Shinidamachuu deeper into the forest, where the undead miko waited.

His _youki_ carefully masked, Sesshoumaru crept into the camp – and made swiftly and soundlessly away with the miko's things.

He stopped at a safe distance from the campsite, then sat down to carefully study his spoils.

The satchel was of a durable material, dyed expertly on a bright hue of yellow, the likes of which Sesshoumaru hadn't seen.

Inside it, he found foodstuffs bearing odd scents.

Books with strangely uniform writing on smooth paper, some bearing paintings that were so life-like Sesshoumaru could but stare at them for a long moment.

He tried to read the books, but he could only make sense of bits and pieces of the text.

There were cleanly packed medical supplies. Spare garments as strange as the outfit the miko was fond of wearing.

Sesshoumaru inspected every curious item he found, even though he could only guess the use of some of them.

Then, his contemplating gaze landed on the second thing he had _borrowed_ so he could study it closer.

It was a strange contraption of metal and two wheels. A vehicle of sorts – he'd seen the miko ride it before.

Sesshoumaru held it upright, mimicking what he'd observed from the miko. Its balance seemed questionable, but he saw that turning the reins turned the front wheel. Encouraged by this, he sat down, his feet planted safely on the ground on both sides of the vehicle.

Sesshoumaru glanced down at the pedals. He needed to place his feet there. Moving his legs in a circular motion would then power the vehicle.

His first attempt at driving the vehicle ended with him lying on the ground in a tangled heap.

The setback only strengthened his resolve to master this puzzle: how to get the contraption moving while keeping balance?

He got the hang of it after a few more tries.

Proud of his accomplishment, he rode around for a while, but soon grew tired of it.

The saddle was uncomfortable. The ride was bumpy and the balance precarious. How the miko could stand such an inconvenient mode of travel, he couldn't fathom.

His investigation concluded – for now – Sesshoumaru returned the miko's things and disappeared into the night.


	23. Stealing Hearts

**Drabble Twenty-three - Stealing Hearts**

* * *

 **Prompt** : Sesshomaru and kagome stoles a kisses when everyone is not looking or when everyone is not around

 **Setting:** Canon divergence

 **Genre:** Romance, fluff

 **483 Words**

* * *

The first time it happened, Kagome's brain froze completely.

Sure, she'd noticed that since they'd started travelling together with Sesshoumaru, Jaken and Rin, the stoic daiyoukai had often seemed to hover nearby.

Kagome had found such behaviour bizarre and mildly annoying, but she would have never guessed it would have been a sign of any kind of interest in Sesshoumaru's part because, well, he was _Sesshoumaru_.

But one evening, when Kagome went to fetch water, she was startled to see that Sesshoumaru had followed her, and further startled when he stepped close to her.

She swallowed and craned her neck to meet his eyes.

" _What is it?"_ was dancing on the tip of her tongue, but she did not have time to voice the words, before he leaned in and swallowed them.

The kiss was brief, but the intention behind it was crystal clear. After that, Kagome had to fight a blush for the rest of the evening.

The second time still took Kagome by surprise.

She was coming back from her own time and was climbing out of the well, when she was effortlessly lifted up and she found herself standing on the wooden rim of the well, looking right into Sesshoumaru's golden eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat and then his lips pressed against hers, warm and firm. The kiss was longer this time and stole her breath.

By the third time, she was anticipating it.

They had not talked about what was going on between them. There had been no questions or confessions or discussions about feelings.

But then, Sesshoumaru seemed more a man of action than words, and his actions left very little to doubt.

And Kagome did not want to spoil it by bringing the subject up.

It was early afternoon, and Kagome was drying her hair beside a hot spring they'd come across. She'd sent Sango, Rin and Shippou back into the camp ahead of her, because by now she was eager to be separated from her friends.

And Sesshoumaru didn't disappoint.

She felt his presence before she saw him. He held his hand out to her and she took it and let him pull her to her feet.

He leaned in close, stopping just an inch from her face, his golden eyes intent.

Kagome closed her eyes and stepped up.

The kiss was shy at first, but grew bolder as Sesshoumaru responded.

His hand came to rest at the small of her back, her fingers were curled in the silk of his kimono.

Her heart beat madly in her chest, and when his tongue slipped into her mouth, she could swear her toes curled.

After that kiss, there was no going back.

Kagome's world had shifted, and she couldn't wait what their next stolen moment had in store.

And judging by how reluctantly Sesshoumaru had relinquished his hold of her that third time, neither could he.


	24. With Each Passing Day

**Drabble Twenty-four - With Each Passing Day**

* * *

 **Prompt** : arranged marriage

 **Setting:** Historical AU

 **Genre:** Romance

 **498 Words**

* * *

Kagome sipped the dry sake, then bowed her head as she passed the dish back to the serving woman.

She slanted a discreet glance to the man sitting by her side as he brought the dish to his lips for the third and final time.

He was the handsome, though his posture was stiff and the serious cast of his face betrayed no emotion.

Kagome held the dish in both hands and downed the final serving of _sake_. With that, she became the wife of this man whom she had met only moments earlier, and with whom she had yet to exchange a single word.

* * *

Usually, Kagome lay on her _futon_ , her feelings swinging between apprehension and anticipation as she waited to see if her husband would visit her or not.

But tonight, she was kneeling on her mattress and willing him to come.

When she heard the footsteps, when the _shouji_ screen slid aside to reveal her husband, her shoulders slumped in relief.

She inclined her head, her hands demurely in her lap.

"My lord, I'm glad you have come."

He slid the _shouji_ screen shut and arched his eyebrow at her.

"You were expecting me?"

"Indeed, my lord," Kagome replied, swallowing past the nervousness in her throat.

He crossed the room and sat down on the _futon_ – close enough to touch if Kagome but reached her hand.

She didn't.

"It is clear you have something you wish to say," he spoke, his sharp golden eyes inspecting her. "Speak."

Kagome's fingers clenched, digging into her white under-kimono. She licked her lips.

Peering shyly at him from under her lashes, she said: "I am with child."

Silence met her words.

Then, his warm large hand wound around hers and squeezed it gently.

She looked up and met his gaze.

"That is great news," he said, still holding her hand in his. "I am pleased."

Emboldened by his reactions, she gave him a smile.

* * *

Sesshoumaru knelt by the _futon_ , gazing down at his wife and daughter. So great was his awe at the sight, that he did not even care that the child had been a girl.

His wife appeared tired, but happy, and she smiled at him, a new kind of tenderness in her eyes as she presented the infant to him.

"Here is your daughter, my lord."

Sesshoumaru hesitated for a moment, but carefully took the child into his arms. Her warm weight was both a comfort and a surprise. The baby blinked at gazed up at him, with eyes as blue as her mother's.

Sesshoumaru's breath caught.

Cradling his daughter to his chest, he leaned forward to press a sweet, lingering kiss to his wife's lips.

Her eyes widened, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks.

Then, in just as unexpected show of affection, his wife lifted her hand and cupped his cheek.

Touched by the gesture, Sesshoumaru leaned his forehead against hers, and then looked down at his baby daughter.

His heart was full.


	25. Intimate Concerns

**Drabble Twenty-five - Intimate Concerns**

* * *

 **Prompt** : our great lord being really embarrassed

 **Setting:** Post-Canon

 **Genre:** Humour

 **500 Words**

* * *

Sesshoumaru had never really expected to grow interested in any female – let alone in a human and a _miko_.

Yet, this girl had intrigued him from the first, when she'd pulled Tessaiga free. The miko had been afraid of him – and still brave enough to threaten to cut him if he got any closer.

Of course he'd tried to kill her, but she'd survived the attempt and been most indignant with him.

A lot of time had passed since then, and over the past year the two of them had grown quite close.

And for the first time in his life, Sesshoumaru _wanted_ to take it even further.

There was only one problem, which was why he'd swallowed his pride and come to Edo today, to visit the monk.

Judging by his growing brood of children, he knew his business.

Sesshoumaru found the monk sitting outside his hut.

"Good morning," he greeted politely. "Visiting Kagome again?"

"No," Sesshoumaru replied. "I have come to see you."

"Me? Why?"

"There is a matter where I would benefit from your expertise," Sesshoumaru said.

"All right." The monk looked up at him expectantly.

"It is a matter best discussed in private," Sesshoumaru specified after a brief, awkward silence.

The monk's eyebrows rose. "I see. Let's take a stroll, then."

A moment later they settled beside a small stream a short walk from the village.

"I have really come to care for Kagome," Sesshoumaru began, "and would wish to pursue a relationship with her."

The monk smiled. "I'm sure she'd be delighted."

"I believe she would be receptive to the suggestion," Sesshoumaru agreed. "Only… I have some concerns."

"About?"

"The, ah, _intimate_ relations." Sesshoumaru squirmed. Humiliating as it was, it was best to confess his predicament outright. "I have no prior experience in such matters."

"With human women, you mean?" The monk slanted him a sympathetic glance.

Sesshoumaru's jaw clenched. "With anyone."

The monk stared at him. "You've never…?"

"No."

"With _anyone_?" His tone was full of disbelief.

"No," came Sesshoumaru's strained answer.

"Huh. That is unexpected."

The silence stretched heavy between them, and for a moment Sesshoumaru wanted to explain how he'd never experienced any kind of carnal attraction before.

But that was too personal a thing to divulge.

The monk cleared his throat. "Didn't your parents teach you about procreation?"

"My mother gave a very detailed account of the process… However youkai typically procreate in their natural forms."

"Oh. Well…" the monk faltered, at a loss for words.

"She must have expectations," Sesshoumaru said, close to pleading now. "She was with Inuyasha for some time, so –"

"Look," the monk cut in, fully serious. "My advice is to discuss your concerns directly with Kagome-sama."

Sesshoumaru hesitated. "Will she still accept me knowing I am lacking?"

The monk gave him a pointed look.

"You are right," Sesshoumaru muttered. "She is an exceptionally generous woman."

The monk patted his shoulder. "Just talk to her. I'm sure you'll be able to figure this out."

"Thank you."


	26. Having a Ball

**Drabble Twenty-Six - Having a Ball**

* * *

 **Prompt** : Sesshomaru has feelings for Kagome, kagome only sees a platonic relationship. But theres a change in what she'd call platonic and it doesn't go unnoticed by her.

 **Setting:** Modern AU

 **Genre:** Romance, fluff

 **499 Words**

* * *

"No!" Kagome gaped at the invitation. "You mean like an actual _ball_?"

Sesshoumaru's jaw clenched. "With my mother organising the event, I'm half-surprised she's not throwing anything more extravagant."

"Wow. I've never been to a ball before." Kagome glanced up at Sesshoumaru. "Are you sure you want to go with me?"

He arched his eyebrow. "Would I have asked you if I wasn't?"

Kagome's lips twitched. "Oh. I see how it is." She scooted closer, and nudged Sesshoumaru's ribs. "You couldn't find a date on such short notice, huh?

"These charity fundraisers are dreary enough, even without adding my mother to the mix. I should at least have a plus one whose company I actually enjoy."

"Aww, that's sweet."

"So? Will you accompany me to this shindig?"

"Of course! An actual _ball_! I'd never pass up the chance to feel like a princess for a day."

Sesshoumaru shook his head, but his lips had quirked into a smile. "Great." He locked eyes with Kagome. "It's a date."

* * *

Kagome cradled a champagne flute and beamed. This was life!

Sesshoumaru stood beside her, startlingly handsome in his tuxedo.

Kagome knew he was good-looking, but it wasn't something she normally paid attention to. The two of them had become friends years ago; a long story involving an embarrassing teenage romance with Sesshoumaru's half-brother.

Still, lately, Sesshoumaru had been… different.

Kagome sipped champagne and slanted him a covert glance.

She couldn't really put a finger on it, but there had been a few moments – like earlier tonight when she had first seen Sesshoumaru all dressed up – when her heart had skipped a nervous beat.

Kagome didn't like it. Sesshoumaru was one of her closest friends, and she didn't want to be nervous around him. She didn't want him to change.

Kagome watched the couples twirling on the dancefloor as she drank her champagne.

Everyone was dressed beautifully, and they looked so elegant, moving with practised ease.

Kagome had zero practise and two left feet… And yet her foot was tapping to the music.

She felt the warm weight of Sesshoumaru's hand on her bare shoulder and almost jumped.

"Would you like to dance?"

Kagome bit her lip. "Umm…"

Sesshoumaru smirked. He took Kagome's near-empty champagne glass and set it aside.

"I'll take that as a yes."

His hand splayed against her back as he steered her towards the dancefloor.

Then, he was standing before her, his golden eyes intent on her as he gently positioned her arms.

By the time they started moving, Kagome's head was whirling and her heart racing.

Try as she might, she couldn't look away; she was trapped by Sesshoumaru's gaze. The hand resting on her waist tugged her closer as he led them through the steps.

Kagome was faintly aware that she was blushing, but it was Sesshoumaru who commanded her attention.

When the dance ended, he claimed her lips in a brief soft kiss.

By then, Kagome had no resistance left.

Maybe change was good, after all.


	27. Threaded

**Drabble Twenty-Seven - Threaded**

* * *

 **Prompt** : Soulmate AU

 **Setting:** Canon divergence

 **Genre:** Drama

 **500 Words**

* * *

The red string of fate.

A soul-string of brilliant crimson, wrapped around a person's little finger, visible only to its bearer, it helped to guide a person to their intended soulmate.

Once found, their threads would combine and join them together for life.

Most people found it a deeply romantic notion, and a great source of comfort.

To Higurashi Kagome, however, it was a cause for constant worry and a countless of sleepless nights.

Because there was something wrong with her string. Kagome had never felt it pull towards any person. Whenever she had tried to follow her string, it led her straight to the well housed in one of the outer buildings at her family shrine.

As a child, she hadn't thought much about it. It had mostly been funny.

But ever since she had started secondary school, every time they talked about boys in her circle of girlfriends, the discussion inevitably turned to their soulmates and red strings of fate.

Ayumi, at fourteen, had already found hers – her thread had connected with a boy's from the year above them.

And while Kagome was happy for her friend, she couldn't help feeling concerned for herself.

How would she ever find her soulmate, if her red string only kept pulling her towards an old, dried up abandoned well?

She received an answer to that question on her fifteenth birthday, when at her little brother Souta's behest, she ventured into the well-house to fetch their cat Buyo.

"There you are!" A wave of relief washed over Kagome as she bent to pick up the errant cat. She stood up, and from the corner of her eye saw a flash of light.

Kagome turned in surprise. A pair of pale arms wrapped around her and pulled her with them and she was falling down into the darkness.

Around her left little finger, the red string of fate throbbed.

Thus, her adventures in the Sengoku era began.

For a brief while, she imagined her soulmate would be Inuyasha. After all, it was as if she had been led right to him.

Aside from the centipede monster who had pulled her back in time, Inuyasha had been the first person she'd met in the Feudal era. She had been the one to free him from his confinement, she was the reincarnation of his first love Kikyou, and her quest to gather all the shards of the Shikon jewel she had accidentally shattered tied in with his.

But her red string wasn't tugging her towards Inuyasha.

It wasn't until they came across an adversary that scared the crap out of her – Inuyasha's older brother Sesshoumaru – when it happened.

He was after his father's sword, which Kagome had somehow managed to pull free from its confines. And when he suddenly towered over her, demanding she give him the sword, Kagome's red string of fate gave a tug so hard her finger twitched.

Before her eyes, the crimson thread grew and merged – and tied her with Sesshoumaru.


	28. The Scorned Suitor

**Drabble Twenty-Eight - The Scorned Suitor**

* * *

 **Prompt** : Hojo falls through the well accidentally and confonts Sesshoumaru because he's not suited for "his" fragile and demure Kagome.

 **Setting:** Canon divergence

 **Genre:** Humour

 **499 Words**

* * *

Houjou had come to pay Higurashi a visit, expecting to find her sick and in bed.

Yet there she was, entering an outer building of the shrine.

Curious, Houjou followed her. He slid the door open and peered in.

There was no sign of Higurashi inside. Where could she have disappeared?

The building was small and was empty, save for an old well.

Could Higurashi have fallen in?

Houjou rushed in, tripped over his feet, crashed against the well and tumbled over its rim.

Winded, he blinked up at the blue sky.

…Wait. The sky? What about the building? Had he hit his head?

Houjou sat up, and saw crawling vines. He began to climb.

Once he got out of the well, he was _sure_ he'd hit his head.

Everything looked different. There was a complete forest where the Higurashi's house should've been.

Then, he heard voices.

Houjou followed them – and found Higurashi.

She looked perfectly healthy: she was smiling and talking, frequently touching the arm of her companion in an intimately familiar gesture.

Houjou frowned.

Her companion looked up and pinned Houjou down with his stare.

Houjou's skin broke out in gooseflesh. This… This _thing_ was unnatural!

His hair was ghastly white and ridiculously long. His pale face was marred by strange markings. His eyes were cold and cruel as he glared at Houjou.

Why would Higurashi be with someone like _him_?!

"Sesshoumaru?" Higurashi tilted her head. "What is it?"

"We have company," the _thing_ said.

Houjou marched forward.

Higurashi's eyes widened.

"Houjou-kun? H-how…? Why…?"

Houjou crossed his arms. "I should ask you the same. Why are you with _him_ , Higurashi?"

"Ehh?" Higurashi blushed. "Sesshoumaru's my… boyfriend."

Houjou had feared as much, but the confirmation was like a slap to his face.

"But he's totally unsuited for you!"

The _thing_ narrowed his eyes, and flexed his fingers. Were those _claws_? What the heck?

"I assure you, foolish mortal, that I am much better suited for Kagome than the likes of you," the _thing_ said, his voice dripping malice.

Higurashi laughed nervously and latched onto the _thing_ 's arm. "It's fine, Sesshoumaru, I'm sure Houjou-kun didn't mean –"

"Yes I did," Houjou cut in, scowling at the _thing_. "Higurashi is kind and sweet and you – you're a monster!"

The _thing_ smiled. His eyes changed – turning blood-red on the spot.

Houjou took a stumbling step back.

"I am, indeed, a monster," the _thing_ drawled. "And if you value your life, you had best not to provoke me."

Higurashi touched his cheek, and the _thing_ immediately calmed, his eyes going back to normal.

Then, she turned and shot Houjou a glare.

Houjou blinked. He'd never seen Higurashi angry.

She propped her hands on her hips. "You really shouldn't be here, Houjou-kun. And it's not for _you_ to decide who I should or should not be with!"

"But –"

"No buts! Go home, Houjou-kun, or I'll sic Sesshoumaru on you!"

Houjou glanced at the _thing_.

The _thing_ grinned.

Houjou swallowed hard, and ran.


	29. Per Aspera

**Drabble Twenty-Nine - Per Aspera**

* * *

 **Prompt** : Sesshoumaru's interaction with his new-born hanyou baby.

 **Setting:** Canon divergence / Post Canon

 **Genre:** Fluff

 **498 Words**

* * *

There had been many moments in the past several years that Inuyasha had declared as the absolute worst thing that had ever happened to him – until somehow something even _worse_ came along.

The first of them had been when Sesshoumaru had announced that they should join forces and travel together until the Shikon jewel was completed.

Incredibly – and despite Inuyasha's vehement protests – Miroku, Sango, Shippou and Kagome agreed that it was a great idea and they'd all be much safer if they stuck together.

Keh!

It soon became apparent, though, that Sesshoumaru'd had ulterior motives when he'd made his suggestion: the moment he began sniffing around Kagome, Inuyasha threw the tantrum of the century.

Unfortunately, that had neither stopped Sesshoumaru nor made Kagome see reason.

Then, Kagome was gone – his best friend stolen away by time, after she'd wished the Shikon jewel away.

That had been a huge bummer, though on the upside, Sesshoumaru mostly disappeared from Inuyasha's life after Kagome had permanently returned to her era.

Of course, it hadn't lasted. Kagome had returned – and so had Sesshoumaru.

Still, life had settled back into a routine. They had even gone back to the life on the road.

And then the _unthinkable_ had happened, and Sesshoumaru had got Kagome pregnant.

 _That_ had been the absolute last straw – or so Inuyasha had thought until now.

He paced under the stretching canopy of Goshinboku, his ears flat against his head as he tried his best to ignore the disturbing sounds and smells coming from the birthing hut.

He tried hard not to think about what was happening at this very moment, and was failing miserably.

His ears twitched at the first indignant wails.

Yup, sure sounded like Sesshoumaru's kid.

And speaking of the bastard… Sesshoumaru was walking up the stairs, wearing a flabbergasted expression Inuyasha would've never expected from his aloof older brother.

Inuyasha's nose scrunched up as Sesshoumaru came closer.

"Come," he told Inuyasha, though his usual imperious tone was gone.

Inuyasha approached him hesitantly.

"Kagome wanted you to see her."

Inuyasha peered down at the tiny bundle in Sesshoumaru's arms.

Two triangular ears stuck out from a tuft of dark hair. A pair of golden eyes peered up at him from that small pale face.

"It-it's a girl?"

Sesshoumaru nodded, staring at his infant daughter.

Inuyasha snuck a glance at his brother. His expression was full of awe but there, that flash in his eyes… had that been fear?

"Are they always this small?" Sesshoumaru asked, still staring at the new-born cradled in the crook of his arm.

"How should I know?" Inuyasha scowled. He thought back to Sango's and Miroku's children and crossed his arms. "They grow up fast, though."

They fell silent, studied the new addition to their family.

Finally, Inuyasha could no longer hold back the question.

"Does it bother you?"

"Does what bother me?"

"That she's a hanyou." _Like me_ , Inuyasha didn't say.

Sesshoumaru looked up and met Inuyasha's eyes.

"No. She is perfect."


	30. Heart to Heart

**Drabble Thirty - Heart to Heart**

* * *

 **Prompt** : Sesshoumaru reveals a most hidden memory of an experience he had made in his childhood

 **Setting:** Canon divergence / Post Canon

 **Genre:** Friendship / Romance

 **499 Words**

* * *

They sat side by side in the dappled sunlight under the Goshinboku, leaning against the old tree's wide trunk.

Kagome enjoyed the easy silence; it had become both familiar and a comfort.

Had someone told her five years ago that Sesshoumaru would become one of her closest friends, Kagome would've never believed them.

And yet, somehow, it had happened; in slow little steps over the course of 18 months until now _this_ was normal: sitting beside him in companionable silence.

Kagome picked at the grass at her feet, frowning into the distance, until Sesshoumaru's calm voice broke the silence.

"Tell me what is on your mind."

Kagome's fingers stilled. She took a breath and held it for two hesitant seconds before she just came out with it.

"Do you ever fear that you're gonna be alone for the rest of your life?"

Sesshoumaru pondered the question. "Not particularly. I have Rin. I have Jaken." He slanted her a glance. "I have you."

Kagome bit her lip. "No, I mean alone as in not having a… romantic partner?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged his shoulder. "I decided at a young age that I would never take a mate."

Kagome turned to him, shock writ on her face.

"Why?"

Sesshoumaru didn't reply right away. His jaw clenched, and his golden eyes clouded.

"My parents did not have the best relationship," he said after a while. "Their mating was arranged for political reasons, so there was no affection between them."

"I'm sorry." Kagome placed her hand on his arm. "Did they fight a lot?"

"Hardly ever, though if they did, it was about me or my education," Sesshoumaru replied, his lips twisting in a wry smile. "Mostly, they avoided each other; their respective rooms were on the opposite sides of the building."

"Oh, wow. That doesn't sound good at all." Kagome wasn't sure what to say. She couldn't really even imagine what it must've been like.

"It helped that my father was gone for long periods of time." Sesshoumaru fell silent and scowled. "Izayoi was not the first concubine my father took, although she was the last; the one he finally lost his heart to. I think he picked human woman on purpose, as that would hurt my mother's pride more."

Kagome shook her head, flooded with empathy. No wonder Sesshoumaru had grown to be a forbidding, solitary daiyoukai.

"I wouldn't want to take a mate either, if I'd had such a poor example of it growing up," she said.

"It is what it is," Sesshoumaru spoke with an easy acceptance that had Kagome's heart contracting painfully.

"It _shouldn't_ be, though," she muttered under her breath.

A small smile ghosted on Sesshoumaru's lips. He laid his hand on top of hers.

"In any event, I do not think you have any cause to worry. You will find someone to share your life with."

Touched both by the gesture and the certainty with which he'd spoken, Kagome looked up and met Sesshoumaru's eyes.

Maybe she already had.


	31. United at Last

This one shot as well as the next seven were written for prompts I received in May of 2018.

* * *

 **Drabble Thirty-one - United at Last**

* * *

 **Prompt:** 3rd person POV

 **Setting:** Canon Divergence, Modern day; **SEQUEL to ch19 A Blast from the Past!**

 **Genre:** Humour, drama

 **864 Words**

* * *

When Tsukiko had walked into the coffee shop, she hadn't expected to run into the Shikon miko.

But here she was, in the flesh, sitting across from her, her blue eyes animated as she related her long tale of time travel.

Tsukiko wasn't sure which was more fascinating, the fantastic tale or the miko telling it.

She'd been sceptical when the little miko had claimed to have been friends with Sesshoumaru – until she'd given Tsukiko her name and revealed her identity.

Because although this was the first time Tsukiko had met the Shikon miko, she had heard of her and her adventures several centuries ago.

And the one to tell her of the miko and her exploits had been Sesshoumaru.

Naturally, this doubled Tsukiko's curiosity in the miko.

"So, anyway," the miko said, "when I made the wish, I got sent back here, to my own time. And the well closed…"

"How remarkable," Tsukiko murmured, as Kagome finally fell silent.

The tea remaining in the elegant cup had gone cold, but Tsukiko didn't mind.

"That was five years ago," Kagome sighed into her coffee mug, before taking a small sip. "You're the first youkai I've met since."

"Thank you, little miko, for sharing your story with me."

The miko stifled a nervous laugh. "Hope I didn't bore you."

"Not at all! In fact, I feel fortunate that our paths have crossed here today." Tsukiko flashed Kagome a smile – and meant every word.

It had been centuries since Sesshoumaru had told her some of the tales featuring the Shikon miko… and Tsukiko could still perfectly recall the respect that had coloured her son's voice as he'd spoken of the miko.

There were very few beings towards whom Sesshoumaru showed such regard. Now that Tsukiko had met the miko, she wasn't surprised that Kagome would be one of them.

Without hesitation, Tsukiko reached into her handbag. Her fingers curled around a metal case. From that case, she took out a business card, which she handed over to Kagome.

"Here is all my contact information. I really hope you will make use of it."

The miko squeezed the card and stared down at it. And after a while, she raised her eyes to meet Tsukiko's.

"Wow, I… I'd be honoured to."

"Then I shall be looking forward to hearing from you."

* * *

Kagome did make use of the business card, and she and Tsukiko met again in that very same coffee shop that had served as the stage for their first, accidental meeting.

In two more months, and after weekly Sunday brunches, the two of them were fast friends.

Which was why, on that fateful evening, Kagome was over at Tsukiko's penthouse apartment for dinner.

They had barely started on their main course, when they were interrupted by the doorbell.

Tsukiko frowned as she set down her knife and fork, and quickly dapped the napkin to the corners of her lips.

"I was not expecting any more company," she told Kagome as she got out of her chair. "I'll be right back, dear, please enjoy your meal."

Kagome smiled. "Don't worry, take your time."

Delight at the miko's kindness drowned out Tsukiko's annoyance of the interruption as she left the table and crossed her apartment.

Tsukiko opened her front door without any preamble – and raised her eyebrow at her unexpected guest.

"Mother," Sesshoumaru greeted her with a nod, standing on her doorstep.

"Sesshoumaru," Tsukiko replied, her lips twitching into a wry smile. "What a rare pleasure."

"I was in town," he said, clearly expecting to be invited in. "And I thought I should come and visit."

Amusement sparked in Tsukiko's eyes, as she gestured Sesshoumaru to come in. "By all means."

Sesshoumaru inclined his head and walked in. He was about to say something, when suddenly his head snapped up, his nostrils flared, and his whole body stiffened.

Without a word, Sesshoumaru strode into the apartment, following his nose.

Bubbling with gleeful excitement, Tsukiko set out after him.

Sesshoumaru halted a couple of yards from the dining table, pale as if he'd seen a ghost.

Tsukiko crossed her arms, waiting to see what was going to happen.

Kagome didn't notice him at first. Then, just as suddenly as Sesshoumaru had reacted out in the hallway, her knife and fork dropped to the plate with a clatter and her head snapped around to cast a wide-eyed stare over her shoulder.

Kagome's lips moved, but no sound came out. She turned in her chair, trembling hands rising to cover her mouth, tears gleaming in her eyes.

And then Sesshoumaru was moving, closing the short distance. He dropped to his knees by her chair, gathered the speechless, frozen miko into his arms and squeezed her close to his chest.

Tsukiko's eyebrows disappeared beneath her sleek bangs. The shock and surprise had been amusing, the tears expected.

Tsukiko had assumed there'd be a strong reaction from Sesshoumaru, given the respect he'd shown towards the miko.

But an open display of affection?

How extraordinary.

Now that sort of behaviour would give Tsukiko _ideas_.

Smiling to herself, Tsukiko decided to skip dinner, and retreated into her office to give Kagome and Sesshoumaru some space.


	32. Paradox

**Drabble Thirty-two - Paradox**

* * *

 **Prompt:** Detailed description of the scene.

 **Setting:** Canon Divergence

 **Genre:** Humour, drama

 **1,582 Words**

* * *

Kagome picked up her pace and balled her hands into fists.

"No!" she barked, her voice strained by impatience. "I told you I needed two weeks and that's what I'm going to take."

"Damnit, Kagome, we don't have any time to waste! Two weeks is too long!"

"Like it or not, Inuyasha, I have to sit through my exams. Two weeks is non-negotiable."

Inuyasha growled and glared at Kagome from under the bill of the baseball cap he wore to cover his ears.

"And while you're out here being examined, Naraku's gathering more Shikon shards!"

"I know!" Kagome snapped. "But unlike you, I have a life outside of shard hunting, and I'm doing the best I can to maintain a balance between – don't you growl at me!"

Kagome propped her hands on her hips, indignant, but Inuyasha wasn't paying any attention to her.

He was staring fixedly down the street, his lips curled back in a snarl.

Kagome was so _done_ and just about to ask what the heck Inuyasha's problem was, when she felt it.

A prickle in the air; faint, but undeniable in its origin. Familiar _youki_ , somewhere close by.

Kagome stared down the street, trying to see who had caught Inuyasha's attention… and then she spotted him.

Tall and broad-shouldered. The silver-white hair was unmistakable, even though it had been cut short in the modern fashion.

Kagome was moving before any conscious thought registered.

"Oi, Kagome," Inuyasha hissed. "What hell are you doing?"

But Kagome kept walking forward, her quick steps eating up the distance.

Inuyasha cursed and rushed after her.

They had almost reached the youkai, when he suddenly turned around.

Both Kagome and Inuyasha stopped short.

The demon looked hauntingly familiar.

In fact, he could've been a mirror image of Sesshoumaru, if not for two small details: he lacked Sesshoumaru's facial markings and his eyes were blue.

Blue and warm, and wide with both shock and recognition as he stared at the two of them, equally stunned.

Then, he opened his mouth and spoke.

Who would've known it'd only take a single word to seal Kagome's fate.

"Mother?"

After a couple of long flabbergasted seconds, Kagome managed a wheezy "what?"

The youkai ignored Inuyasha – who was busy swearing like a sailor – and gave Kagome a baffled once-over. "What on Earth are you wearing?"

Kagome shook her head. What the hell was going on?

And more importantly, who –

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha demanded, pushing himself between Kagome and the demon.

The youkai frowned. "Come on, Uncle Inu. That's not funny."

Inuyasha took a step forward, snarling. The youkai narrowed his eyes, and _youki_ crackled in the air.

The situation might have gone very badly from there – when something even more mindboggling happened.

All of a sudden, Inuyasha and the youkai were yanked apart.

Kagome gasped, as she met the cold golden eyes she knew.

"Not here, you fools," Sesshoumaru said, his voice threateningly quiet, while still maintaining a good grip on both Inuyasha's and the other youkai's necks. "If you want to brawl like barbarians, do it out of the prying eyes of the humans."

The other youkai was looking sheepish now. "I'm sorry."

Inuyasha, however, twisted in Sesshoumaru's grip so he could glare at him. "What the hell are you doing here, you bastard?"

The other youkai gaped at Inuyasha.

Sesshoumaru deposited him down. "Go on now, Masaru. Our lunch is postponed."

The other youkai – Masaru – nodded and left in a hurry.

Unease slithered in the pit of Kagome's stomach. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru looked just about ready to tear into each other's throats, but then, what else was new?

So she squared her shoulders and stamped down her growing discomfort.

"Let him go, Sesshoumaru!"

And that was when the time truly stopped.

Kagome blinked in confusion and tilted her head.

Was she hearing things now, too? Because she could've sworn there'd just been the weirdest stereo-effect, except…

Kagome took three slow steps to the left – and saw the figure standing behind Sesshoumaru, a hand propped on her hip.

Kagome's head swam. Her knees buckled.

And Sesshoumaru was there to catch her, before she could slump inelegantly onto the street.

His chest was hard, his arm around her secure and oddly gentle.

But Kagome was too overwhelmed by everything at this point. She couldn't make sense of what Sesshoumaru was asking her in a soft, concerned voice. She just stared at the woman standing across from her. Fought to get air into her lungs.

From there, things were a blur. She knew they were moving, but didn't know where they were going. Sesshoumaru had wrapped his arm around her shoulders and was leading her somewhere. Kagome's numb legs obeyed without a question.

The next time Kagome was actually aware of her surroundings, she was sitting in a private corner booth of a family restaurant.

Inuyasha was sulking by her side, and across the table sat Sesshoumaru – and _her_.

Kagome stared at the woman for a long moment, her brain refusing to accept what her eyes were seeing.

And when she finally remembered how to form words, they tumbled off her tongue in the quick succession of a nervous babble.

"I don't understand. Isn't this against the rules? How can we meet here like this without screwing up the timeline? Shouldn't this be like a paradox or something? Or _create_ one?"

Kagome wrung her hands and stared across the table. It was unnerving, to look yourself in the eye – even though the other "you" was smiling in a friendly and reassuring manner.

"Don't worry, this meeting won't mess up the timeline," the other Kagome said.

Was that what her voice really sounded like?

Ugh, there was just too much going on for her brain to process.

"How can you be sure?" Kagome demanded.

The blue eyes twinkled, crow's feet crinkling in the corners.

Kagome felt more at ease, seeing the lines she didn't yet have. Something visual to mark their difference.

"Because I remember this day," she replied simply. "Perhaps it is a paradox of some sort – I never really got the hang of the intricacies of time travel… But I remember this. Meeting an older version of myself. Sitting down with her. Having a chat."

A shiver travelled down Kagome's spine and her skin erupted in gooseflesh.

"I remember it well," the other onesaid, locking her gaze with Kagome's. "After all, looking back, that day changed my life."

Kagome looked away and hugged herself. Cold fear was creeping up her chest now.

In her heart and in her gut she _knew_.

Somewhere deep down, her other self's words rang true. But her mind protested, shrieking its denial.

Desperate to avoid the haunting sight of two pairs of eyes that were both familiar and foreign at the same time, Kagome's gaze fixated on the pair of hands resting on the table. Clasping each other in such an easy comfort that the gesture must've been habitual.

Kagome wouldn't have believed it possible, but the sight of those hands managed to confuse her poor brain even further.

Naturally, Inuyasha chose that moment to boil over.

"What the hell is this shit?" he growled, gesturing wildly at the other Kagome and Sesshoumaru, his claws flexing.

His barely contained anger showed in the tense lines of his muscles.

"It is as it seems," Sesshoumaru replied calmly. "An unfortunate crossing of timelines."

The other Kagome shook her head and touched Sesshoumaru's shoulder. "Very fortunate, for us."

Sesshoumaru looked at the other Kagome and smiled. "Indeed," he agreed, then brought their joined hands to his lips. He pressed a kiss on the back of the other Kagome's hand.

Kagome was pretty sure her eyes were bugging out.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, was growling again.

"The other youkai, from earlier... He was…?"

Kagome couldn't bring herself to finish her question. The word got stuck in her throat.

"Masaru," Sesshoumaru replied. "Our son."

"One of our sons," the other Kagome amended.

The beginnings of a headache pounded on Kagome's temples.

"How many are there?" Inuyasha asked, and Kagome wished he hadn't.

She wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"Sons – or children altogether?" Sesshoumaru returned, looking Inuyasha in the eye.

Inuyasha sputtered.

The other Kagome was smoothing down her hair, looking sheepish. "Let's just say there are several."

"Of each," Sesshoumaru added, his evil grin aimed at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's face was turning purple and Kagome wondered if he might be choking on his tongue.

"Several?" Kagome echoed, feeling faint again.

"Well, you know… It took the better part of four centuries to develop reliable contraceptives," the other Kagome said, shrugging her shoulders.

"And abstinence was not an option," Sesshoumaru added, his golden eyes flashing as he slanted a look at the other Kagome.

 _Oh dear lord._ Kagome blushed.

Inuyasha was making the choking sound again.

"Don't worry about it," the other Kagome said, her voice gentle, her eyes kind.

Kagome nodded.

But despite her older self's reassurances, she _was_ going to worry. If future had been unclear before, it felt thoroughly muddled to her now.

After everything she had learned about today, about everything that might be waiting for her in the years to come… it just wasn't physically possible not to worry.

Because it would take Kagome quite some time to come to terms with all of this.

Although on the plus side, Kagome mused, noting the smile her other self and Sesshoumaru shared, she would have centuries to get used to it.


	33. Rainbows

**Drabble Thirty-Three - Rainbows**

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 **Prompt:** Sharing of childhood memories linked to a certain item, with Sesshoumaru's memory being pleasant and Kagome's less so.

 **Setting:** Post-canon

 **Genre:** Gen, drama

 **1,071 Words**

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Summers were Kagome's least favourite season.

The warmth and the sunshine she loved well enough, but the rain… The rainy season was relentless and drove her to seek shelter in her hut.

And spending the majority of her days cooped up inside on weeks on end didn't really endear to the season, any better than getting constantly soaked outside did.

That particular day was much like any other. Steady rain drummed the roof of Kagome's hut, while she mended some of her clothes – another mindless task to see her through another boring rainy day.

Or so she thought until the sudden presence of _youki_ announced her visitor mere seconds before he strode into her hut, dripping all over her floor.

"Sesshoumaru!"

Kagome set aside her mending and hurried onto her feet and to Sesshoumaru. She grabbed his hand and dragged him to the centre of the hut so she could promptly sit him down in front of the hearth.

"You're soaking wet," she admonished him, while stirring the coals.

Then she wandered off to get a few fresh bits of firewood and a tea pot, which she filled with water and hung from the pothook above the hearth.

"Whatever possessed you to go out in this weather?"

Sesshoumaru shrugged his shoulders. He didn't seem to mind being soaked to the bone.

"I had to get out," was all he offered in reply.

But Kagome understood and flashed him a quick smile.

"I'm glad you did come, I was getting stir-crazy myself – though not enough to brave that rain. Is it ever going to end?"

Sesshoumaru wasn't well versed in exasperated rhetorical questions, as he readily offered her and answer: "Of course it will. All things end."

Kagome bit her lip to swallow her laugh.

"I suppose so."

"Where is Inuyasha? And Rin and the old miko?"

"They all left yesterday. There was a youkai attack at one of the villages nearby. A lot of wounded villagers and destroyed buildings. They went to offer aid."

He raised his eyebrow at her. "And you did not?"

"Someone had to stay here," Kagome said. "Those youkai might come this way next."

"Do you need me to stay?"

"Oh, no. We'll manage. But thank you, it's kind of you to offer."

Indeed, just 18 months ago Kagome could have never imagined that Sesshoumaru would make such an offer.

He had treated her with his typical cool indifference when she'd first come back through the well.

It was only after she and Inuyasha had admitted their relationship wasn't working and had parted ways when Sesshoumaru had started to warm up to her.

Though sometimes it still caught her off guard.

They drank their tea and chatted, and compared to the tedious minutes Kagome had spent mending her clothes, the time seemed to fly as she and Sesshoumaru caught up.

Funny, how much his company had brightened her day.

And then, she noticed something.

The steady rush of rain was gone; now the only sounds from outside was the joyful chirping of songbirds.

"Hear that," Kagome said with a smile. "The rain did stop."

"Indeed," Sesshoumaru said.

He got up and offered Kagome a hand.

She let him help her up and followed him outside.

She took a deep breath, relishing the clean air.

"I love how fresh everything looks and smells after rain," she commented, walking beside Sesshoumaru towards the stone steps leading up to Inuyasha's forest and the Bone Eater's well.

It had become their habit, to often walk or spend time there.

Reaching the top of the stairs, Kagome turned to look down at the village. She glanced up at the sky, where the dark clouds were giving way to streaks of blue and gritted her teeth.

"What is it?" Sesshoumaru asked, sensing the sudden turn of Kagome's mood.

"There's a rainbow," she said, hugging herself and nodding up towards the sky.

"And this upsets you?"

She didn't have to turn around to know he was regarding her, eyebrows raised.

"Yes." Kagome turned her back at the village and the rainbow arching across the sky. "I can't stand the sight of them."

"How peculiar." Sesshoumaru looked up. "I always thought they had their charm."

"You like rainbows?" she asked, incredulous.

"You do not?" he countered, deadpan.

"It's just I wouldn't have expected that," Kagome said, shaking her head.

"I could say the same," Sesshoumaru returned.

"I have my reasons," Kagome said.

"And I have mine." Sesshoumaru paused, but continued a brief moment later. "I saw one as a pup. My father had taken me out hunting with him for the first time."

"How did it go?"

"My father felled two deer and I had caught a rabbit, my first kill. I was proud and my father had praised me, which he never did lightly. Then, on our way back home, we saw a rainbow. That moment has stuck with me for some reason and that is why I am not averse to rainbows."

"That is sweet. No wonder you like them then."

"And you?" Sesshoumaru asked. "What is your reason for disliking them?"

Kagome did not reply right away. She stared at the wet grass by her feet, ran her fingers through her hair.

"I was seven," she replied at last, "when I snuck out to the yard one afternoon. I couldn't stay inside the house any longer, just couldn't, so I slipped out. I sat underneath the Goshinboku, my arms around my knees… And right then, I saw the biggest and brightest rainbow ever. I started to cry, because it seemed so unfair to see something so beautiful on such a bleak day." Kagome fell silent.

After a moment, she drew in a trembling breath. "It was the day we buried my father."

The warm weight of Sesshoumaru's hand was comforting as it settled onto her shoulder, and Kagome leaned into the touch.

"Like you, I'm reminded of the memory every time I see one, which is why they upset me."

"That is a good reason," Sesshoumaru said, his voice grave. "I am sorry you lost your father so young."

"Thank you. I'm sorry about your father too."

In companionable silence, they walked a little further, until at last they took a seat underneath the Goshinboku, on the moist grass dappled by sunlight.

Comforted by his presence and his silence, Kagome let her head fall to rest against Sesshoumaru's shoulder and felt content.


End file.
